Star Trek Renegade
by Tylerdude
Summary: When Alec Wilson of the Enterprise is framed for the murder of Vesuvian President Sha'Gra, he risks his career by stealing a shuttle to find those responsible. But what he uncovers is a conspiracy that goes deeper than he ever could have thought.
1. Arrival

Before you read Renegade, I would recommend reading my first book, Facing Demons. There are characters and situations in Renegade that are better understood with reading my previous work. That being said, I believe Renegade to be superior to Facing Demons. The action is better, the plot is more cohesive, and the story more compelling. Enjoy.

STAR TREK

RENEGADE

by Tyler Ayotte

Prologue

It was a good time for many. After extensive proceedings and negotiations, the planet of Vesuvia was being inducted into the Federation. Although they was still much to be learned about them, their petition to enter was granted unanimously. Their aid to damaged starships and battered officers during the Dominion War was much appreciated and was guaranteed their membership. The young, but dignified leader of the Vesuvian people insisted the signing take place on her homeworld so as many of her people could witness this historic event in person. Having been assidned to transport dignitaries to Vesuvia, the U.S.S. Enterprise arrived in orbit of Earth to beam aboard the leaders of both societies: President William Ross of the United Federation of Planets, and President Sha'Gra of Vesuvia. However, it would become apparent during the coming days that not everyone was looking forward to this event.

Chapter 1

Arrival

Captain Jean-Luc Picard strode into the transporter room with the carefree demeanor of a child. Already waiting for him were his first officer Commander William Riker, his chief of security Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson, and Counselor Deanna Troi. The dress uniforms they donned were in honor of the guests that would be arriving shortly. Those included were President Ross of Starfleet, President Sha'Gra of Vesuvia, her ambassador Jobra, as well as the president's personal security detail, and a Federation ambassador. One had not been chosen at the time of the last status report so they were in the dark as to whom.

Picard had hosted numerous diplomatic functions as captain of the Enterprise, but the anxiety never seemed to go away. The prospect of something going wrong itched at him, and it soon manifested itself as fidgeting,

"Nervous, Captain?" asked Riker with a bearded grin. Having been Picard's first officer for almost eighteen years he was usually able to read his commanding officer.

"I don't know what you mean, Number One." said Picard as he looked at the empty transporter pad.

Counselor Troi didn't need to read Picard's body language to know he was nervous, although she could anyway. Her Betazoid empathic abilities allowed her to read his emotions. She had seen him like this before, she knew he could handle any problems should they arise. "I'm sure things will go smoothly, Captain."

"If all else fails, I could invoke martial law."

After he had lost his best friend James at the hands of the Borg Queen two years earlier, Alec had not been the same man. He was no longer as quick to crack a joke, and he took every situation more seriously. His wife Rene, was as sad about the loss of James as Alec, the three of them grew up together. But she was happy that her husband was no longer as reckless as he had been in the past, because he had children to raise. Only recently had he returned to his normal self.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, Commander."

"How about a curfew?"

Picard opened his mouth to respond but he was interrupted by the transporter chief. "Excuse me, Captain." she said. "But President Ross is ready to come aboard."

"Thank you, chief. Energize"

Picard and his officers turned to face the transporter pad. They stood rigid, their arms at their sides. A series of beeps emanated behind them and were followed by the hum of the transporter powering up. A blue glow illuminated the transporter area and within seconds six figures were standing on the pad before them.

Picard took two steps forward to greet his guests, he smiled and met their eyes one by one. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise."

President Ross was the first to step down from the transporter pad. He extended his hand to meet Picard's. It was not necessary for Ross to introduce himself, but he did so out of formality. He along with the friends he made on Deep Space Nine had made names for themselves during the Dominion War. His name was one that would go down in history in Starfleet.

Ross had taken office the previous year after unrelenting pressure from numerous people. The war had left him drained and it drove him to pursue a different venture. He had mentioned the presidency to Captain Benjamin Sisko as a joke, who then put his full support behind the admiral. Because of his war effort, and his campaign outline - which put focus back on exploration but with defense in mind as well - he won with an astounding 75 of the votes.

"Bill Ross, honour and a pleasure to meet you, Captain. Allow me to introduce President Sha'Gra of Vesuvia."

The President stepped down from the transporter and stood next to Ross. The photos they had all see of her did not do her beauty justice. Her short red hair matched her clothing, which was presumably the formal attire for a person at her level of power. Her blue skin almost matched that of a Bolian, except there was no ridge running down the center of her face. But her eyes were what garnered the most attention. When she was in the dimmer light of the transporter pad they had been dark red, but now that she was in brighter light they were a light shade of yellow. It was mesmerizing at the same time understandable, all species evolve their own way of adjusting to light.

She smiled warmly and sincerely at Picard. "Thank you for having us aboard, Captain. I've heard stories about the Enterprise, we're honored to be aboard her."

It had been Picard who had made first contact with Vesuvia four years prior. After a week of nonstop combat duty, the Enterprise entered an unexplored system after Lieutenant Commander Data detected subspace transmissions emanating from a Class M planet. With the ship in standard orbit they hailed the planet where they were greeted with the friendly then President Ty'brel. The incredibly generous peopel allowed them to remain in orbit while repairs were completed and permitted the crew to take R&R on the surface. The beauty of their planet was such that many were saddened upon their departure. They were no doubt pleased to be returning.

"It is we who are honored, Madame President. I can only hope we do not disappoint. I was sorry to hear about Ty'brel's mysterious disappearance. Are there any leads to his whereabouts?"

Sha'Gra's faze saddened as she shook her head. "It's been two years since anyone has seen him. I'm afraid we have to assume the worst."

Eager to lighten the mood, Picard turned back and raised his arm to his officers. "Allow me to introduce members of my senior staff. My first officer, Commander William Riker. My chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson. And Counselor Deanna Troi. Commander Riker is in charge of ship's resources. If there's anything you require, please don't hesitate to ask. Commander Wilson is in charge of security at the summit, if you have any special security requests, feel free to let him know."

Each officer bowed their head when their name was spoken. Sha'Gra returned each bow with a smile as warm as a sun. "Your reputations precede all of you. Allow me to introduce Jobra."

A pudgy mid-sized Vesuvian man stepped down from the pad and shook their hands one by one. "It's an honor to be in such company, I look forward to hearing stories of your exploits. If you'll so indulge me."

Alec spoke up. "What a coincidence, Ambassador. Commander Riker here was just telling us how much he'd enjoy conversing with you."

Jobra was thrilled. "Excellent!"

Riker knew Alec was going to pay him back for the little practical joke he played. Alec despises kanar, so Riker reprogrammed Alec's replicator to give Romulan Ale the taste of kanar but keep its own color and consistency. He didn't know when Alec was going to strike, it appeared the wait was over. He put on his best smile and did his best to make it look like nothing was wrong. "I look forward to it."

"As do I."

President Sha'Gra gestured to the two giants on the transporter pad. "This is my personal guard, they go wherever I go, even after my term in office is over." They were taller than Nausicaans and looked tougher than Klingons. They sure had the intimidation factor needed for the job.

Alec was reminded of Secret Service agents from the old United States of America that used to protect the president of that nation. He laughed inside when he pictured them in black suits, sunglasses and wired communication devices lodged in their ears.

President Ross turned to the final person on the transporter pad, one who was displaying obvious signs of restraint. It was one whom the crew of the Enterprise was familiar. They had journeyed home from the Delta Quadrant together for two months just two years earlier. Stepping down was Ambassador Neelix, formerly of the U.S.S. Voyager and the only Talaxian in the Alpha Quadrant. During their journey home he had been their cook, confidant, and friend. They were glad to see him. "My friends, it's great to see you again!"

"Ambassador Neelix," Picard held out his hand which Neelix took in both of his and shook vigorously. "It's been too long."

"Far too long, Captain." Neelix stepped over to Riker. "Commander, I hope the recipes I gave to you are being put to good use."

Already known to be a talented cook, Riker had expanded his knowledge of cuisine after he and Neelix shared their personal favourites with each other. "Very good use, thank you. I just wish I could find a substitute for leola root."

"Believe me, he's tried." said Troi. She smiled at Neelix and hugged him as if he were a brother. "How are you, Neelix?"

"I'm well. Thank you, Counselor. I miss my friends but such is the life of an ambassador I suppose." He moved down to Alec. "Commander, how are the children?"

"Big." laughed Alec. "It's amazing how quickly they grow. I'm afraid I'll turn my back and they'll be graduating high school."

"Be thankful you don't have an Ocampan child." laughed Neelix. He was unaware that he was the only one that had gotten his joke.

"Madame President," said Picard. "Would you like to be shown to your quarters?"

"Please, Captain."

"Number One, Counselor Troi, would you be so kind?"

"Of course, Captain."

As Riker and Troi began to lead the delegates out of the transporter room, Picard had one more thing to say. "Madame President, there's a reception tonight being held in your honor, we'd welcome your presence."

"I'm touched, Captain." Sha'Gra smiled once more. "Of course, I'll be there."

Riker led the way out of the transporter room, followed by Troi, the President and her colleagues. Her guards almost had to hunch down to make it through the doorway. Picard put his attention to those who remained. "Commander Wilson, as I understand it you are now off duty. I leave you to your evening."

"Aye Captain, thank you. My apologies in advance if I am late for the reception this evening, my wife and I are leaving our children with their grandparents until we return to Earth. Our visit with them might go longer than expected."

"Understood, Commander."

"Mr. President, Ambassador, if you'll excuse me."

Alec exited the transporter room, not noticing the look of admiration from Ross. "Remarkable young officer." he said. "I wish Starfleet had more like him."

Not many in the Federation were unaware of Alec's Wilson's name. Two years prior, during an attempt by the Enterprise to retrieve Captain Sisko from the Prophet's realm, the ship was sent to the Delta Quadrant where it was united with the long lost U.S.S. Voyager. The two crews discovered that things were heating up once more between the Borg and Species 8472. The last conflict between the two threated the entire galaxy, if a full on war ensued it would have certainly meant the end for all.

When the two ships visited a devastated facility once manned by Species 8472, Alec was abducted by the Borg after an anti-assimilation technology he developed successfully prevented him from joining the Collective. Realizing the threat the Borg would represent if they got their hands on Alec's vast tactical expertise, the Enterprise and Voyager had no choice but to proceed to Unimatrix 01 - the 'capital' of the Borg Collective - to rescue him, or kill him as a last resort. With some help from Species 8472, they were successful in holding off the Borg defenses while Lieutenant James Moore planted explosives around the Unimatrix. Regrettably, Voyager was destroyed when she suffered a warp core breach. Luckily the entire crew was beamed aboard the Enterprise.

When his task was completed, Moore disobeyed orderes by beaming into the Unicomplex and joining the search for his best friend. Sadly, his decision cost him his life. The Borg Queen killed him as a demonstration of what would happen to the rest of his friends if he did not reveal the secret to his anti-assimilation technolgy. In a fit of rage, Alec struck down the Borg Queen and the away team was beamed out in time to escape the massive explosion that rid the galaxy of the Borg forever.

It was a story that captured the imagination of all who heard it. But most chose to focus more on the happier ending of the story: The crew of Voyager had returned home after seven long years in the Delta Quadrant.

"Indeed," said Picard. "The war might have ended much sooner if there had been. Now gentlemen, would you care to join me in my ready room?"

Rene still missed their old quarters, even though these were more suited for a family. Having children made her indescribably happy, but having quarters to just her and Alec is something she'll always think about.

She looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed her long, black hair. It had been over six months since she had seen her parents in person. She knew they didn't exactly approve of her living on a starship, especially now that she was a mother. If there's one thing that had been shown to Starfleet in the past two hundred years, it's that space can be a dangerous place. It was understandable for her parents to be apprehensive.

One thing she wasn't looking forward to was the questions. She could anticipate certain ones now: 'Any plans to pursue your career? What are you going to do when the children are old enough for school?' She dreaded those two the most, mainly because they were logical questions. Her career meant a lot to her, but not as much as Alec's happiness with his meant to her. There wasn't much one could do to pursue a career in botany on a starship that was constantly light years from Earth. After seeing what she could do on the Enterprise she wanted to find out exactly what she was capable of. The arboretum on board ship was visited by the entire crew at least once a week, and once a day by her, Alec and the children.

The question of schooling loomed over her head like an ominous storm cloud. With only a handful of children aboard, there was no extensive educational system. The holodeck was capable of creating a suitable environment and a more than adequate education but it was missing an equally important factor: friends. Little Sonia and James deserved to have a complete childhood, that included friends their own age to grow up with. She felt it unfair to deprive them of that. They had some hard decisions to make.

"Mommy," said Sonia as she tugged on her mother's dress. "When's Daddy going to be here?"

"Soon, sweetheart." Rene put down her brush and stroked her daughter's hair. "He's just meeting some people with your Uncle Will and Aunt Deanna."

"Are Unca Will and Auntie Dena coming with us to see Gramma and Granpa?"

"Sorry, Sonia." Rene walked her daughter over to the window. Outside was the beautiful planet she called home, moving ever so slowly by as the ship was propelled at standard orbit speed. Her son, James, was sitting on the sofa practicing his ABC's with his teddy bear. "Your aunt and uncle have to help with the people that came on board."

Sonia gave her trademark pout, and quietly whimpered. "Mommy, can you show me where we're going?"

Rene crouched down and held her daughter's arm. She raised Sonia's hand and pointed along with her own. She aimed them at the North American continent, more specifically western Canada. "We're going right there. White Rock, British Columbia." She missed the home she grew up in. She missed lying down on the beach on a hot summer day, with the tide rising up the surf onto her legs.

She expected it to be fairly lively down there, it was Canada Day. The nation was celebrating its 513th anniversary. Being the patriot that she was, she was wearing her red and white dress. Even though the nations of the world no longer lobbied for power, her parents still raised her to be proud of her heritage.

"It's so pretty, Mommy." said Sonia as she looked at the Earth.

"Daddy!" James' excited outburst surprised Rene. She turned her head and saw her son leap off of the sofa and run towards his father, who was standing in the open doorway. She released Sonia so she could go hug her father.

Alec knelt down, took a child in each arm and lifted them off the floor. "Oof, you guys are getting heavy. Pretty soon you'll be able to take on Klingons with your dad on the holodeck."

"We already can." said James as he made tiny fists.

"Mommy," said Sonia, turning back towards the window. "Daddy said I'm getting fat."

"I heard." Rene stepped away from the magnificent view of the window and approached the man she loved. "And if he says the same thing to me, they'll never find the body." She leaned over and kissed her husband, immediately hearing the protests of Sonia and James.

"Ew, gross!"

"Mushy stuff." said James.

"You guys will know better one day." Alec lowered his children back to the floor. "All ready to go?"

"Just waiting for you to change into something a little less Starfleet."

"Right away, sir." said Alec as he gave a mocking salute.

"That's ma'am. And make sure you wear something red and white."

"You Canadians." laughed Alec as he went into the bedroom. Being a lunar baby, he didn't exactly have a nation to call his own. His great grandparents lived in the United States before moving to Luna. He didn't think being three generations removed qualified him as an American.

Alec finished changing out of his dress uniform and into a pair of shorts with a shirt that was red and white. When he entered his quarters he took a look at the Earth through the window. He saw no clouds over the area they were going to be beaming down so even though it was almost 1700 hours it was summer, and therefore warm weather was expected. After placing his combadge onto his chest he left the bedroom. His wife and children were waiting by the door. She was holding both of their travel bags. He took one from her and kissed her once more, admiring her beautiful face, and that cute little mole she had on her cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For being the most beautiful Canadian on the ship."

They materialized at the far end of an old, wooden pier. When it was rebuilt after World War III it had been preserved over the centuries as it was one of the most recognizable landmarks of the region. All along the railings on both sides were people fishing, young and old alike. There even a few children showing their Vulcan or Bolian friends the nature of the activity.

A parade procession had just passed on the street above the mouth of the pier. Alec saw a sea of red and white. He was glad it had passed, he didn't want to get swept into the celebration. He wanted to get the children to their grandparents house and be back on board the Enterprise so she could leave for Vesuvia on schedule.

Upon reaching the street, Rene flagged down a horsedrawn carriage. After admiring the steeds for a moment she climbed into the carriage and took the children from Alec as he raised them up to her. Alec knew they would have to take the scenic route, as the nearby northern hills were too steep for the horses to pull the carriage.

He loved this area. Although the smell of fish alone was enough to make him gag. It was one of those places on Earth where if you had woken up after four hundred years of cryogenic sleep, you'd think you were still in the 20th century.

The ride took about thirty minutes. Rene's parents were standing in the second story window of the house, both of whom were wearing red and white. Her mother, Kate, and her father, Steven, waved to them as they stepped down from the carriage. By the time they had walked across the hedge-lined lawn and reached the front door, Kate and Richard were already standing in the doorway. Both were smiling, they were eager to see their grandchildren. Sonia and James practically jumped into their arms. For a moment, Rene thought her parents would be knocked over.

"How are you, Rene?" asked Kate as she embraced her daughter.

"I'm good, Mom. Nice to see the old house. Hi, Dad."

"Hello, princess." said Steven.

Rene hugged her father and cringed at the nickname she had since she was little. He only called her that in front of other people, much to her chagrin. She knew Alec would use this against her later on. "How are you, Dad?"

"I'd be better if your mother let me drink more coffee."

"Too much isn't healthy, Steven."

"Hasn't hurt me so far."

Kate stood next to her husband, they were almost the same height. "That stuff has stunted your growth. I've seen Ferengi taller than you."

"But they didn't father the perfect daughter." Alec stepped forward and held out his hand to Steven, and was surprised as always at his iron grip. He knew that Rene's parents liked him, but he also knew that they resented him for being the reason why she was away from home. He wasn't happy with that, but he understood it. "How are you, Mr. Miller?"

"I'm good, son. I hope you've been taking good care of my daughter up there."

"To the best of my ability, although apparently my pie replicating skills leave a little to be desired."

"You always forget my powdered sugar."

"Only because it goes straight to your hips." Alec laughed at his joke, which Rene responded to by hitting him on his shoulder.

Kate knelt down to James and Sonia. "And how are my favorite grandkids?"

"Tired." they said in unison.

"Well you had a busy day." said Rene. "Tell them what you did with your mom."

"We helped Mommy in the arbetum today."

"Oh really? You must have learned a lot about plants then."

"Uh-huh." said James. "Do you know what makes plants green, Gramma?"

"No, what?"

"Colorfill.""Chlorophyll, sweetheart." said Rene, correcting her son's obvious, albeit cute, error.

"That's what I said, colorfill."

Kate laughed. The innocence of a child was one of those things that was beyond words. She was happy for and envious of her daughter. Happy because Rene got to discover it for herself, and envious that she herself was no longer able to witness it on a daily basis. "Would you two like to come in for coffee before you go back to the Enterprise?"

"We should probably-"

Alec cut her off. "I could probably go for a cup."

"Good, I'll go make some."

"I know I'd love some coffee." said Steven, rubbing his hands together.

"You, get tea."

Steven followed Kate upstairs with James and Sonia behind him. Alec stepped inside and closed the door. Before they went upstairs, Rene hugged him. "You didn't have to do that."

"You haven't seen your parents in six months and I don't know when the Enterprise is going to be back here. Yes, I had to."

Sonia and James were sleeping shortly after being shown their rooms. Working in the arboretum had taken its toll on them. Alec and Rene said goodbye to them before they went under. Two days of maximum warp travel, plus however many days of festivities occurred thereafter, and finally the two day trip back could mean at least a week without seeing their children. They didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

They hadn't spent more than a day away from the kids since their birth. It was most likely going to be difficult for them. But a relief as well, they needed their personal time after all. And that wasn't easy with two children a door away.

Alec took a sip from his cup. _Real coffee._ It had been so long since he had anything that wasn't from a replicator. _Nothing beats the real thing._

His mind wandered to the mission he was about to go on. Destruction of the Borg aside, he had never taken part in such a momentous occasion. The Federation didn't gain a new member everyday, and he intended to make sure nothing went wrong.

He must have been sitting there daydreaming for ten minutes before being included in the conversation. Kate jarred him out of his daze. "So, Alec, how's work going?"

"Pretty routine." He sipped his coffee again, it was a little cooler than the last time. "Aside from a little skirmish with a Gorn ship last week, everything's running smoothly."

Steven was raising his teacup to his mouth, but had stopped upon hearing Alec. "Rene, you never told us about that."

"There wasn't anything to tell, the ship never came under fire."

"What happened?" asked Kate.

"He accused us of being in their space. When it was in fact his navigational sensors that were malfunctioning. He had his weapons locked on, but he powered them down as soon as he heard the name 'Enterprise' in Captain Picard's hail." Alec finished his coffee and placed the cup on the table in front of him. "I'd be willing to bet the only thing that would have made that Gorn captain more obsequious is if he heard the name James Kirk."

"Don't you ever miss home?" asked Steven, finishing from his own cup.

_Damn._ Rene knew where this was going. She had been beginning to think she'd make it through this without their pressure to come home. Not only was she upset that she was being subjected to this, she was angry that her father was putting Alec in the middle of it. She was pretty sure Alec knew what he was doing too.

"The Enterprise is my home. And as for people, everyone I need is on that ship." Which was true, his parents had long since been taken away from him, as was James two years ago. The only people he needed in his life were his wife, children, and the friends he'd made on the Enterprise since his posting.

_I think he knows what you're doing, Dad._ Rene was pretty sure that Alec wouldn't take the bait and be drawn in.

Kate stood up and moved to gather everyone's cups when Alec noticed and beat her to it. "I'll take care of that, Mrs. Miller."

_Yep, he definitely knows. I'm proud of you, honey. Don't get sucked in._

"Oh Alec, you don't need to do that."

"Nonsense, I'm a guest in your home. It's the least I can do."

"Alright, but only if you stop calling me Mrs. Miller. When you married our daughter you became part of our family. And everyone in this family calls me Kate."

"Sorry. Being raised in a Starfleet family it's become a force of habit."

Rene met eyes with Alec and shot him a look of understanding. _I'm sorry._ He closed his eyes and nodded.

She waited until he had gathered the dishes and left the room before she scolded her father. "Dad," she said quietly enough so Alec couldn't hear her, but firmly enough so that her father knew she wasn't kidding around. "I know you want me to come home, but don't drag Alec into the middle of it."

"He has a responsibility to keep you three safe."

"By doing his job, he accomplishes that. And because of the people he works with everyday I couldn't be any safer."

"The same way he kept your friend James safe?"

If her children had not been sleeping and her husband not been in the next room, Rene would have stopped just short of throwing furniture to show her present level of anger. But she couldn't keep it all in. "Not a day goes by that he doesn't think about what happened to James. He has nightmares about it. I know, because I hold him when he cries. James was like brother to both of us. And if Alec had just heard you say that, I can guarantee that marital ties would not have stopped him from showing the restraint that I just did. And you know something else? I can't say I would have stopped him."

The tension was so heavy in the room that it could have stopped a ship moving at warp speed, and Alec sensed it immediately when he reentered. "Rene, Will just contacted me. The Enterprise is ready to leave orbit."

Rene turned away from her father, tears were streaming down her face. "Let's go, I have nothing more to say."


	2. Reception

Chapter 2

Reception

Rene didn't say a word on the way to their quarters. Alec was pretty sure that whatever was said between her and Steven was about him. He asked her if she was okay a couple times during the walk through the corridors, she simply nodded and kept walking without breaking stride. Upon arriving at their home, Rene went straight for the replicator and asked for chamomile tea. That was something she only ordered when she was extremely upset.

"Rene, do you want me to stay?"

"I'll be fine, go to the reception." Rene sat down in her favorite chair, which was angled towards the window. Outside, the Earth began to move away from them. The Enterprise was leaving orbit. She sipped her tea and stared out into the now vacant view. "This is your first diplomatic function. It would be selfish of me to keep you from it. Besides, it's only a father/daughter dispute. It's not the first and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"Are you sure?"

She turned her head away from the window, knowing that she would miss one of her favorite sights; the ship going into warp. The redness and swelling around her eyes was going away. "Yes I'm sure, sweetie. Go mingle."

Alec's reluctance to leave her alone was at peak. Although he wasn't exactly expecting to have the time of his life at the reception, he knew he would feel like a bad husband if he left her here alone. And that was something he swore he would never do again. "Let's go together."

Rene looked at him and blinked, somewhat surprised. "I'm not exactly in the condition for it."

_She wants to go._ He wasn't going to leave without her now. "You shouldn't be alone right now, you need something to take your mind off of this. I think a little wining and dining will do the trick."

Rene's head perked up. "Wine?"

"That's right." Alec smiled. He knew she was playing along, but it was more than she would have been willing to do in the minutes before. "Maybe champagne too, if I remember correctly that's something you haven't had in a long time."

"Our wedding."

"Just try to control yourself this time."

Rene stood up from the chair and put the teacup on the center table. "I wasn't that bad at our reception."

"Not that bad?" laughed Alec. He vividly remembered that day. After their reception he wished they had gone with synthehol. "A couple of times I had to stop you from getting up and dancing on the tables."

"That's a lie!" said Rene, pushing Alec on the shoulder. "I would have remembered that."

"You did so, James took holoimages."

Rene scoffed. She was at a loss for words, which was rare for her. She was sure she hadn't done anything that embarrassing. "I want to see those pictures."

"Maybe later. If you're good tonight I'll consider showing you."

"Is that a bribe?" she asked, the pitch of her voice raised.

"I prefer to think of it as an exchange based on mutual gain."

Rene stood silent for a moment, thinking it over. Finally she spoke. "What will I wear?"

Alec looked her up and down, she looked stunning in her red and white dress. "What you have is fine."

"Alec," she said, tilting her head down but keeping her eyes locked on his. "This isn't exactly formal. I'm going to stand out like a Ms. Terran pageant."

"Rene, practically everyone at this reception is going to be in a Starfleet dress uniform. You'll stand out regardless."

"You have a point." said Rene as she headed for the door. "Let's go."

"Whoa, whoa. You might not have to change, but I do." Alec headed for the bedroom, removing his shirt as he entered.

"Well hurry up. I have tables to dance on."

The crew lounge of the Enterprise was a combined galley, bar and recreational area. It was very much like the Ten Forward lounge on her predecessor, named so because it was located at the very front of the saucer section on deck 10. It took some time for the crew to come up with an appropriate name for the lounge. 'Seven Forward' just didn't have the right ring to it. Due to the antique maritime steering wheel that Picard had acquired and displayed on the wall, the crew named it 'The Wheelhouse.'

The selection of food from the buffet table had exquisite delicacies from all over the Alpha Quadrant, and even a few selections from Neelix's Delta Quadrant menu. If there were to be any complaints, it would not be for lack of choice. Normally, Troi would have gone straight for the dessert table, but Riker insisted she have an actual meal. She protested at first but conceded. His argument of 'we're not as young as we used to be' seemed to get across.

Going by the tradition of guests first, Sha'Gra's table was the first to serve itself. Those at her table included Captain Picard, President Ross, ambassadors Jobra and Neelix, and standing behind Sha'Gra's chair were her personal guards. Riker was observing them from another table. He wondered if they ever sat down, or slept. He knew one thing for sure, they were built for protection. Even an armed Jem'Hadar soldier would think twice about attacking one of them, let alone two.

Also dining were delegates from other Federation worlds that had beamed aboard in the previous days. Vulcans, Andorians, Trill, Benzites, Bolians, and Terrans were just some of the species that were coming to witness the signing. All looked excited about the upcoming event. Except the Vulcans of course, they were just better at hiding it.

Once they were reseated, Picard was eager to ask Neelix about the first mission he had as an official ambassador upon Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant. "Ambassador Neelix, I'm curious." started Picard. "What was it like on Cardassia?"

"Oh, what an experience, Captain." Neelix was clearly affected by his stay on the ravaged planet, and that was not surprising. "After what they had gone through during the closing months of the war, it was a wonder their society was functioning as much as it had been. If not for Damar's rebellion, I don't think they would have had the spirit to stand up to the Dominion."

"That was fortunate for us as well." said President Ross. He had witnessed first had the moment when the Cardassians switched sides, it was during the final hours of the war. "It was because of their help we were able to turn the tide against the Dominion."

"Sadly, their defiance had it's cost." said Neelix grimly. They knew exactly what he meant. They had all seen the images that were taken. City upon city lay in ruins. Upon learning of the mass public uprising, the Founders ordered the devastation of Cardassia and the massacre of the population. In the end, the Jem'Hadar had slaughtered over eight hundred million Cardassians. The death toll was two hundred more than there had been on Earth at the end of World War III. Never before in recorded history had there been such a ruthless display of genocide.

It was ironic that the one who had shown them how to fight back, Colonel Kira Nerys, was one of the countless Bajorans who had been oppressed by them years before only to fight back and free themselves.

The conversation took a much more uplifting direction when President Sha'Gra brought up the summit. Her yellow eyes captivated all those who sat around her at the table. "This is without a doubt the greatest era in the history of my people."

"It would not have happened without your initiative, Madame President." said Jobra. He seemed to be enjoying the Terran fruit salad that he had served himself.

"I just wish all of my people agreed with this decision."

"Am I to understand that there are those who oppose Vesuvia's joining the Federation?" asked Picard.

Sha'Gra sighed and looked towards one of the many windows along the northern wall of the crew lounge. The stars seemed to flying towards them while at warp. The first time she had seen this it frightened her. She had lived on Vesuvia since the day she was born and had never once left the planet. Everything that happened to her upon leaving her planet was a new experience, and she welcomed them all. "Yes, I'm sorry to say. There are certain extremist groups who believe that joining the Federation could mean the end of our civilization." Sha'Gra saw the inquisitive look on Picard's face and continued. "There are some who simply are afraid of change. They believe things are fine the way they are and don't want any outside influence. Then there are those that think the Federation is simply after our dilithium mining planets."

If he hadn't discovered the Federation/Son'a conspiracy to relocate the Ba'ku race a few years ago, Picard would have been surprised and offended at such an accusation. Although he could understand the apprehension that group of Vesuvians was feeling, they were mistaken. The Federation was desperate then, needing an edge in a war unlike one they had ever seen. But now that the war was over, there was no conspiracies.

Picard hadn't even learned about the Vesuvians mining operation until days before it was announced they were joining the union. Apparently they were in possession of the most dilithium rich planets ever recorded. Not only that, their refined dilithium was more efficient. It required less matter and anti-matter to start the reaction inside a warp core. That extended not only a starship's matter/anti-matter supply, but it's dilithium as well. The Federation wouldn't ruin such a prosperous gain with deceit.

"And there is a third group." said Sha'Gra. "They believe that being a member of the Federation will make them a target for the next major power that chooses to pick a fight."

That, to Picard, was the most logical reason for reluctance. Bajor was wise to forego joining the Federation and sign a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. He could only imagine what would have happened to the Bajorans this time. It would have been tragic to have them cast back into the grave from which they so valiantly pulled themselves out of. Countless lives had been spared.

Jobra spoke up. "They are just afraid of what they don't understand. This is beneficial to our world, and in time they'll see that."

"I hope you're right, Jobra." Sha'Gra ate some of the food off her plate before speaking again. "Captain Picard, do you have much experience with Romulans?"

_A little more than I'd like to._ He knew it would have been inappropriate to say that, although he couldn't help but think it. "I've crossed paths with them periodically in my career. The most recent example being two years ago when we encountered a Warbird violating our space." He remembered that day well, it was just after that his ship wound up in the Delta Quadrant while attempting to retrieve Captain Benjamin Sisko. "I understand you've maintained your trading arrangement with them."

"I felt it would have been unwise to antagonize them by breaking off trade, and to instead see what their reaction would be upon learning they'd be trading with a Federation member. And it's the result that troubles me."

"And what's that?" asked President Ross.

"That they've chosen to continue trading with us." replied Sha'Gra concernedly. "One would think that they'd break off relations once that happened, just as they did with you when the Dominion War was over."

"It could be that they don't want to break off a beneficial trade system." said Neelix. "Or maybe they realize there's nothing to gain from being enemies with the Federation and this is their first step in warming up."

_I wish that were the case._ Picard knew what Sha'Gra's concern was. And now he shared it. "Or it could be that they're interested in something other than trade."

"That's my fear, Captain."

Picard didn't think the Romulans would be foolish enough to try something against a member world of the Federation, but he'd been wrong in the past. He chose not to think about it right now. This was a joyous time, one that shouldn't be spoiled by dread.

The entrance of two more people into the crew lounge caught Picard's attention. He looked up and saw Alec Wilson and his wife Rene enter with their arms locked together at the elbow. Alec was in his dress uniform, while his wife was in something a little less formal but still appropriate for the evening.

Alec and Rene made their way to the buffet table and began serving themselves. Riker saw the happy couple and motioned them over. "Care to sit down?" he said with a smile.

Alec looked at the two vacant chairs and then looked back at the table which seated Jobra. "Thanks for the offer, Will. But as I recall, you owe the ambassador some stories. I'd hate to be selfish and rob him of a seat."

Riker chuckled as Alec left to join another table. Rene stayed for a moment to talk with Troi before joining her husband. It was about a minute after she left that Riker noticed his Imzadi looking at him. "What?"

"Can't you two ever play nice?"

He smiled. "This _is_ how we play nice."

Already seated at the table Alec chose were Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge and Lieutenant Commander Data. "Good evening, Commander." said his android friend.

"Hey, Data. Geordi."

"How was your visit down on Earth?" asked La Forge.

"Beautiful area. One day when I retire or they kick me out of Starfleet I want to live somewhere like that." Alec stuck a fork into the mashed potatoes he selected from the buffet table. He saw Rene heading for their table. He stood up and the pulled out the chair next to him. "For you, my dear."

Before sitting, she placed her plate on the table and curtsied. "Thank you, kind sir."

"Did you enjoy your visit with your parents, Rene?" asked Data. He had learned over the years that a good conversation starter for humans was asking them about their day. He found it had an 84.2 success rating.

Rene's fork was an inch away from her mouth and stayed there. For a second Alec thought she was going to start crying again, but she didn't. She even managed to fake a smile. "It was an enlightening visit, Data." she said with a polite smile.

Data cocked his head slightly, his emotion chip evoking a twinge of guilt. "Based on your initial reaction to my inquiry, and my own experiences with emotion, I appear to have caused you some discomfort. I apologize."

Rene shook her head and laughed quietly. "It's okay, Data. You didn't know."

"So, Alec." said La Forge in between mouthfuls. "You looking forward to providing security for the summit?"

"It's definitely the biggest job I've had to coordinate, but I'm pretty sure I can take care of it. With the help of the Vesuvian security force we should be able to prevent a Khitomer. Not that anything would happen anyway. It's just a signing summit."

"To use a human saying." said Data. "Bad things happen when you least suspect."

Alec eyed his friend. "I hope you're more optimistic during tonight's poker game. I want to have fun, not be depressed."

"It was not my intention to upset. I was only expressing a possibility."

"A small part of me hopes somebody does try something, just so they can see what they're up against."

"Maybe the Romulans will give you something to do." said La Forge.

"The better enjoy their time in Vesuvian space while they can, because once the deal is done they'll have to use a third party courier for their trading."

"How come?" asked Rene. Not being a Starfleet officer, she wasn't privy to all the political notions that most were. She didn't mind sometimes, it meant she often had less to worry about. Plus, she found it exciting when Alec explained such things.

"Because once Vesuvia joins the Federation the border will be redefined. Their ships won't be allowed to cross the Neutral Zone. Unless they can reach an agreement with the Federation, but I think if they were going to be interested in that they wouldn't have done an about face on us in the first place."

A server walked by the table carrying a tray with full champagne flutes on top. Rene helped herself to one. "Thank you." she said. The server smiled and nodded at her before walking away.

"I'll go get my camera." said Alec.

"Shut up."

After awhile, everyone in the lounge was mingling. There was not one table that didn't seat someone from another. Rene and Troi sat in a corner with their friend, Dr. Beverly Crusher. Just last week, little Sonia came down with a cold. Crusher could not help but be amused by the fact that as far as they've come, despite all the diseases they've cured, there was still no cure for the common cold.

Jobra was sitting at a table alone with Riker, who was putting on his best face to make it seem like he was having a good time. He had already told Jobra about the incidents at Farpoint Station, Dividia II, Aldea and the meeting he had with his double on Nervala IV. The ambassador was captivated by them all. Riker was just tired of telling stories. Tonight's poker game was not near enough. He was about to excuse himself when he saw Alec approaching. "Hey, Al. Care to join us?"

Alec saw the look in Riker's eye. It seemed to dictate that it was more of an order than a request. He leaned down on the table with his left hand and put his right on Riker's shoulder. "I just came over to see if you told the good ambassador about the time you were kidnapped by mercenaries."

A pleasant look of surprise appeared on Jobra's face. "No, he hasn't."

"I was just getting to that." said Riker, just barely maintaining his demeanor.

"Well," said Alec, standing upright again. "My wife needs me. I should go."

"See you at the poker game, Ensign." said Riker flatly, but he didn't think Alec heard him.

"I thought he was a Lieutenant Commander." said a puzzled Jobra.

"Things change."

The reception finally came to an end. Riker had had his fill of diplomatic functions for the time being. For the first time he was dreading the signing summit that was to take place in two days. He had nothing against Vesuvia joining the Federation, he just didn't want to be stuck with Jobra again.

La Forge and Data were the first to arrive for the poker game. They showed up before Alec, who was usually the first to arrive. "Hello, gentleman." said Riker. Troi was already sitting at the table which Riker had just finished preparing. She and Riker had moved in together the previous year, sparking several marriage rumors which Riker quelched immediately.

"Hello again, Commander. Counselor." said Data, his poker hat sticking out from his forehead.

"I see you survived your encounter with Ambassador Jobra." said La Forge with a chuckle.

Riker exhaled. "Just barely. I would have gotten away from him sooner if our chief of security hadn't interfered."

"I swear," said Troi. "This little quarrel of yours is typical of men wanting to recapture their youth."

"Hey, I had a lot of fun as a kid." said Riker, smiling as he sat down.

"I'm sure you did. But you have to grow up sometime."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

The doors opened, in walked Alec and Crusher. They were laughing about something. "Hey, guys." said Alec, seating himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Troi.

Crusher sat down. "We were talking about the time Sonia put my medical coat and went around sickbay tapping everyone with an empty hypospray."

"I think she has her future careers narrowed down to botany and doctor." said Alec.

"Don't let her rule out counseling." said Troi.

"I'll try, Deanna."

Riker began dealing. Red eights wild, two draws. "What's little James want to be? Twenty."

"He wants to fly the ship while dad shoots bad guys." Alec threw chips into the center and watched while the others did the same.

"Well, if he flies half as good as his namesake I think we're in good hands." said La Forge, eyeing his cards.

"Couldn't agree more." Alec would always carry the demon of his best friend's death. His life hadn't been the same after James was killed. The man had been his friend, partner, brother. _Time heals all wounds. I don't have enough time._

The fact that James died was hard enough. But having been there when it happened, watching him die, the image forever burned into his memory, he wondered if it would eventually push him over the edge. Alec focused on the game. "I'll take two."

Riker dealt the appropriate number of cards to those that wanted them and looked at his own. His flush wasn't working this first hand, but he had a pair of kings and a queen, if he could get another queen he'd be in good shape. "So, Alec. I was stuck at that table with Jobra for over an hour. What did I ever do to you?"

Alec lowered his cards from his view and blinked at his friend. "Come back to my quarters for some Romulan Ale and we'll talk about it."

Riker laughed with the others. "Why, Alec. Whatever could you mean?"

Alec put his gaze back on his cards once more. "Do you know how long it took to get the taste of kanar out of my mouth?" He had tried everything to overpower the taste, even some of his private Klingon Bloodwine stock, 2309 vintage. Nothing worked. "Whose bet is it?" Things had started well, he had three queens at the moment and was hoping to get the fourth.

"Fifty." said Riker. He watched who matched the bet. Alec was in, as were Troi and Crusher, but La Forge and Data folded. "Cards?"

"One." Alec picked up his new card. _Damn, no queen. Three will have to do._

"Two." said Troi.

"Three." said Crusher, frustrated.

"So, Alec." said Riker. "How about we set up a little wrestling match between you and one of Sha'Gra's guards?"

"How about not." countered Alec. "I've seen a squad of Klingons with less muscle than them. Come back ten years ago when I was single and childless."

Riker was still offset by Alec's occasional brashness. This was not the same Alec Wilson that he had met two years ago. After his experience with the Borg he was more serious, faster to act and slower to joke. They had all expected him to be a changed man Borg but they were hoping it would only be a short time before he was himself again. But that didn't happen. Only in the past few weeks had he started to show more and more of his former self.

He didn't always come to the poker games either, instead choosing to spend the night with his family. Riker tried to imagine how he would act had he been in Alec's position. But it was impossible. Nothing in his life came close to what Alec had endured. Riker looked at the two cards he had dealt himself. No queen, not even another king. _Time to bluff._ "Twenty. How's the security detail coming, Alec?"

Alec matched the bet, and watched the others match it as well. "I've pretty much got it done. I just need to go over a few things with the Vesuvians once we get there. It's basically just the Vesuvian deployment that I need to work out. My staff has everything down to a tee."

La Forge shifted in his chair. He already knew the outcome of this first hand. "I wonder what the head of Starfleet security thinks about you being in charge of this."

Alec shrugged. "Maybe he welcomes the break."

"Or maybe he thinks you're after his job." said Crusher. "This could be Starfleet's way of seeing if you're up to it."

"He can keep it, I couldn't deal with a desk job. I'd get too bored."

"You and me both, Alec." said Riker.

"So when are you going to quit stalling and show us your cards?" asked Alec.

_There's the Alec I met two years ago._ Riker sighed and lay down his measly pair of kings. Alec chuckled and put down three queens. _Wouldn't have gotten another queen no matter how many times I hit._ Troi exhaled happily and showed her hand. Two kings and two red eights, four of a kind equivalent. Crusher had four of a kind as well, but not enough to beat Troi's. Riker at least had the satisfaction of knowing that while Alec had beaten him he had still lost the hand.

"I knew you were bluffing." said Alec.

"You had my cards."

After a long day, Alec finally came home for the night. As he entered his quarters he wondered why his children weren't there. The answer made him laugh. He had forgotten they had left Sonia and James on Earth. _Wonder how many times I'm going to do that._ On the nearest sofa was James' teddy bear. It was his son's favorite possession, one which he took everywhere. _Poor kid, he probably misses it._

Alec walked to the replicator. "Romulan A-" He stopped himself from making a mistake. He hadn't yet corrected the adjustment that Riker had made to his replicator. "Saurian Brandy." Alec held up the glass. "Here's to you, old friend" He toasted his friend, James. Saurian Brandy was his favorite. Alec looked around once more. Usually Rene was waiting with the kids when he returned from the poker game but he didn't see her.

He went into the bedroom and saw her sleeping soundly. The events of the day along with her champagne intake had taken their toll on her. Leaning down, he stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead.

Rene's eyes battered open and she looked up at him, a smile on her face. "Sleeping Beauty isn't done sleeping yet." she said.

"Didn't mean to wake you."

"That's okay. How'd you do tonight?"

"Could have done better." Alec sat down on the bed and removed his boots. "I think Deanna is more empathic than she leads us to believe." Alec leaned forward, held his face in his hands and sighed. It had been a long day.

Rene reached over and rubbed Alec on the back. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Alec removed his face from his hands and turned to Rene. "I guess I'm just more stressed than I thought."

She sat up and started massaging his shoulders. "I'd be surprised if you weren't. You said yourself that this is the biggest job you've ever done."

He was more worried about what the officials would think of his performance than his performance itself. He wasn't after a promotion to Head of Starfleet security but he still wanted his superiors to be impressed. The shoulder rub was helping, he started to relax. "I'm pushing myself too hard."

Rene moved closer and started massaging down Alec's back. She then leaned forward and gently kissed his neck. She knew that was his spot. "Well, Dr. Wife has a remedy for that."

Goosebumps worked their way in a wave around Alec's skin. _The kids aren't here, what the hell._ "Well, I guess I have to fellow doctor's orders then."

Everything was dark. Alec couldn't see a thing. But he heard whispers, so many whispers. They came from the jet black void that surrounded him. The dark seemed to be seeping into him, enveloping his soul. "Who's there?" More whispers were all that answered. In his hand was his katana, the familiar feel of the handle held tightly. Alec walked forward on a ground that he could not see. He did not know where he was but this place felt familiar, and it scared him.

Something brushed by him, but he could not see it. He spun around to face whatever was there with him in the darkness. There was nothing. Slowly, ever so slowly, the area began to light up. He was again hit by familiarity of his surroundings. In the center of the room was a platform with clasps at the bottom of top, someone was meant to be held there. All around the room were odd computer terminals, some with even odder looking mechanical men standing before them. Borg. They were Borg drones. He couldn't move, but it wasn't out of fear. His limbs would just not work.

A woman entered the room through a doorway at the foot of a ramp. She was also Borg. And she struck a terror in Alec that was more than he thought was humanly possible. He walked backwards away from her, but he only moved closer. He stopped moving his legs, but closer still he went. A cruel, twisted smile was on her face, one of pure evil. Alec's arms both now gripped his sword, and they were rising over his head beyond his control. With all his will he could not stop. The closer he came to her the higher his sword went. When he was next to her, the sword came down.

Everything was dark again. He heard a scream, a man's scream. Then his hands were warm. His sword slipped out of his hands and landed with a clang on the ground. The room began to light up again. He looked at his hands, they were red with blood, as were the blade and handle of his sword. Lying facedown on the ground in front of him was a body, only not of the Borg woman.

Alec walked over to the form, there was a bloody wound on its back. Whoever it was wore a Starfleet uniform. He grabbed the body by the shoulder and rolled it over onto its back. It was James.

James' eyes flew open. "Why Alec? Why did you kill me?"

With his time in the dreamworld at an end, Alec sat up in bed drenched in sweat. His recurring nightmare had been haunting him for some time. He had always felt guilty for not having done more to save James, but he knew he was not the one who had killed him. Apparently there was a part of him that bore that responsibility.

The soft touch of Rene's bare skin hugging him gave him a start. He embraced her back and began to cry. He loved her so much and promised himself he would never let anything happen to her or his children.

"Are you okay?" Rene felt stupid for asking that question, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. _Of course he's not._

Alec heard the question but did not answer. He just sat there and held Rene knowing that she asked it out of love and compassion rather than curiosity. He knew he had to do something if he were to be rid of the demon that haunted his mind, and it would have to be soon.


	3. Ceremony

Chapter 3

Ceremony

_Captain's log, stardate 57504. We will be arriving at Vesuvia on schedule within the hour. The summit will begin shortly after our arrival, at which point this ship will bear witness to a moment in Federation history._

Captain Picard and his senior officers were still on the bridge where they would remain until their arrival at Vesuvia. Most of the ship's systems had been put on automatic so that the crew could prepare to beam down for the summit. The low ranking officers with the most experience would be staying aboard to monitor the systems that needed a human eye. Those higher ranking officers that did not wish to bear witness to the signing were free to stay aboard, much to the relief of the juniors.

Riker wished he could stay aboard but he knew it would not look good if he was not there. He would just have to try and minimize his contact with Jobra.

Alec still had some residual chills from his dream the other night. Every time he thought he had shaken them, one look at the empty helm jarred the memory back to the front of his thoughts. While the helm position had been filled two years ago by then Ensign Justine McClary, the chair would always seem empty without James sitting in it.

McClary was a very talented pilot. She was still in her early twenties and had joined the crew of the Enterprise straight out of the academy. She considered herself very lucky to have gotten the posting and had been more than eager to prove herself when she had the chance. While she was still a cadet she had been a member of Red Squad, an elite group of cadets that got special quarters, special classes and other privileges.

Despite having grades that were more than high enough, Alec and James never wanted to join Red Squad because all the members they knew were snobs. They had often joked that their classmate Eric Jones would have fit in perfectly. But Alec liked McClary, who was no snob. She was down to earth, and knew not to overstep her bounds. Chances are she wouldn't still be aboard had she possessed the attitude of some of her Red Squad classmates.

Picard couldn't stop thinking about the Romulans. He wasn't thinking about their presence in Vesuvian space but rather why they once more had become virtual recluses after the war. The three major powers, Federation, Klingon, and Romulan had come within a hair of creating stable Alpha and Beta Quadrants with their unification against the Dominion. But for some reason the Romulans chose to go back to their old ways, deceit and treachery. And now they were displaying more unusual behavior. Picard could not understand why the Romulans would continue trading with Vesuvia after their joining of the Federation was official. Past instances were clearly not in play.

A curious sensor reading caught Alec's eye before it was gone. It was only there briefly but it was long enough for him to notice. "Captain," he said. "Sensors have just picked up what appears to have been an explosion."

Picard was grateful for the break from his thoughts. "What's the source, Commander?"

"I'm not sure, sir." Alec ran a brief sweep to try and find the location but rather than get a fix on it, he instead came up with a curious piece of information. "The explosion itself was too faint to localize, but for a moment I'm sure I saw a dilithium signature."

Picard exchanged glances with his first officer. "Dilithium?" asked Riker. "Could it be from one of their mining planets?"

"Possibly. If so, this is the first hint we have as to the location of one of their facilities. Mr. Data, can you verify Commander Wilson's readings?"

"I shall attempt to do so, sir." The android hurriedly worked his console, accessing Alec's sensor data and performing his own analysis. "I have completed analyzing the sensor information. There was indeed a dilithium signature present during the time of detonation. I have estimated its point of origin."

"Shall I alter course to investigate, Captain?" asked McClary, eager for a change of pace.

"Is it along our present heading, Mr. Data?"

"Negative, Captain. My calculations put the coordinates 0.5 light-years away at bearing 270 mark 119."

"That takes us pretty far off course."

"Agreed, Number One. And the summit is scheduled to begin as soon as we arrive. I do not wish to delay it."

"We can always check it out on our way back." said Alec. "I for one am pretty curious."

"As am I, Commander." said Picard. Investigating it now and delaying the conference was not an option and he wasn't about to weather the storm that was brought down on him by his superiors the moment he did. "Make it so. Once the summit is over and our mission complete we will investigate this phenomenon."

"Aye, sir." said Alec.

He noticed the disappointed gestures of McClary and understood how she felt. Like a good number of Starfleet officers, the excitement was located not with diplomatic functions but rather the exploration of the mysterious and unknown. In the two years she'd been on board, there had been a surprising lack of both considering the ship she had heard so many stories about. Progressing through the academy she had heard from numerous officers that the Enterprise was the 'place to be.' Now that she was here she was wondering where all the excitement had gone.

The one thing she had enjoyed more than all else since coming aboard was the Klingon war games exercise the Enterprise had taken part in. Pitting Starfleet's best against the Klingon's best, the crew of the Enterprise went face to face with two K'Vort-Class Birds of Prey and the Negh'Var, the most powerful warship in the Klingon fleet. The Klingons fought gallantly but were eventually defeated by the skill and experience of the Enterprise crew. Alec had given McClary one piece of advice when she came on board: Learn thy ship. And she had done just that.

When the Enterprise arrived at Vesuvia, the senior officers vacated the bridge and let the junior officers take over. Alec and his security force beamed down before all others in order to provide the Vesuvian security members with the necessary deployment instructions. It was fairly straight forward. There would be two security guards for each entrance to the main hall, one Starfleet and one Vesuvian. All in all there would be a total of fifty security officers in the building. Alec figured that should be enough to calm the nerves of even the most nervous Ferengi. He had decided against using phaser rifles and instead opted to use the standard type II sidearm or 'old faithful' as he called them. Once the security force was deployed, Alec signaled the Enterprise and informed the presidential party that all was ready for their beam down.

After donning his dress uniform, Captain Picard went to the transporter room to meet with Presidents Ross and Sha'Gra, her personal guard, and the ambassadors. Their beam down coordinates were just outside of Vesuvia's Presidential Forum. It was a large government building used mainly for political purposes. Normally it held only two hundred politicians but it had the capacity to hold as many as twenty thousand. The forum was expected to be full today.

Upon his beam down he was met by Alec and a Vesuvian guard. Along with the presidential party, Picard was led down a path towards the main entrance of the large building. He was in awe of his surroundings. On both sides of the path there was a sea of people, all cheering in favor of their historic event. Twenty meters above the main entrance was a large monitor. Currently on the display was the interior of the forum, more specifically the main hall. In the center of the image was the speaker's podium. Picard was particularly impressed with the architecture of the forum. It had the elegance of ancient Greece and the sophistication of ancient Rome. Stone pillars stood on both sides of the archway that was the main entrance. The entrance itself was mid-sized, about the height and width of the entrance to a holodeck on a Galaxy-Class starship. Green vines covered the entire exterior of the building about halfway to the top.

Once inside, Picard was again struck with wonder. It was one of the most luxurious interiors he had ever seen. Lush carpeting led to a large stairway. On both sides of the chamber were more stone archways and pillars. The Vesuvian equivalent of oil paintings hung on the walls. Past leaders, or so Picard could only assume, were on display within the frames. He had no doubt that Sha'Gra's portrait would one day hang among them.

They were led into a comfortable room. It was the delegates lounge. It was here that they would stay until the ceremony began, which it would shortly. "Thank you, Commander." said Picard.

"You're welcome, sir." said Alec. "I'll see you after the ceremony."

Sha'Gra took a seat in a fancy looking chair that appeared to be specifically for the president of Vesuvia. On the table in front of her was a pitcher of water and several empty glasses. She poured herself one and drank slowly.

"Nervous?" asked Ross.

"Yes, I'm not fond if public speaking." She had every right to be nervous, it was only the biggest day of her political career.

Picard laughed to himself. _Interesting career choice._ He caught a glimpse of the main hall through a large doorway at the head of the room. He did not know how large it was but got a pretty good idea from what little he managed to see. "Madame President," he said. "You have a beautiful planet."

"Thank you, Captain. As do you. There is still much of Earth that I wish to see. I shall have to make it back there soon. There is something called 'skiing" that I wanted to try." She took another sip of her water. "Pardon me, but apparently I need a little reminder. What happens now, with the ceremony?"

"Well," Ross sat down on the sofa centered along the back wall. "Captain Picard will make a speech. Him being the one that made first contact with your people it seems appropriate. Then I'll make a speech. Once finished, I'll sign the charter, endorsing your membership. Then it will be your speech, and you as well will sign the charter, making the membership official."

"I'd make that speech for you, Madame President," said Jobra. "But the public wants you."

"I appreciate that, Jobra. But I can do this." Sha'Gra finished the rest of her water and placed the empty glass on the table. She appeared to be much calmer than she had been minutes before.

A thunderous applause came from the main hall. The head of a Starfleet security officer leaned around the corner of the door frame into the dignitary lounge. Picard recognized him. It was Lieutenant John Edwards, Alec's right hand man. "Excuse me," he said. "It's time for you to head out there."

"Are you ready, Madame President?" asked Jobra.

"As ready as I'll ever be, old friend." Sha'Gra placed her hand on Jobra's shoulder and looked at Ross. "Mr. President, would you care to lead the way?"

Ross took a quick look out into the main hall, then shook his head politely. "Maybe some other time, I don't think that applause is for me."

Sha'Gra rose to her feet and stepped towards the entryway to the main hall. Standing there for a moment to compose herself, she took a deep breath, stood up straight, and stepped out into her limelight. An applause twice as loud erupted as she walked her way up the ramp towards the meeting area in the center of the hall. A smile that she could not contain spread across her face. This is something she had dreamed about since the day she realized she was interested in politics.

The main hall was somewhat similar to that of the Federation Assembly building. History had an echo in that fashion, for it was in that hall two hundred years ago that the Federation was born. Picard had seen the holographic recreation of that day several times. Captain Jonathan Archer of the first starship Enterprise had been one of the people to sign the Federation charter. And although Picard wasn't as an important figure on this day in history, he was still proud to be a part of it.

Now that he was walking in the main hall, he finally saw the scope of it. The main meeting area in the center was a small oval shaped space about twenty feet in diameter. A podium was placed near the far end of the meeting area, to the right of the podium were five chairs, presumably for their group. Facing the podium were six rows of chairs, five in each row. Picard saw his senior staff in the second row, some overlapped to the third. They were all turned to face him, as were the rest of those seated there. Above the boundary of the meeting area was the first tier of stadium seats. It circled the meeting area from one edge of the ramp to the other. Just above and behind the first tier were sixteen more, each containing more seats than the one preceding it.

They walked past another pair of security guards where the ramp met the meeting area. Picard was nervous, he had never spoken in front of this many people before. It was just now, before he was about to take the podium, that he realized it wasn't just the twenty thousand in this hall he was speaking to, and not just the rest of Vesuvia either. He was addressing the entire Federation. A starship captain had enough pressure on his shoulders without having to speak before billions of people. But he felt ready to do it.

Picard and the delegates sat in their prearranged seats. The announcer stood at the podium and waited for the applause to die down before calling up the first speaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, for a number of you, this individual needs no introduction. Four years ago he made first contact with Vesuvia and today he will be speaking to you. His name is among the most recognized in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and pleasure to present to you the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard."

There was another round of applause as Picard arose from his chair and stepped to the podium. On top of the podium were three p.a.d.d.s, one for each of their speeches. He activated the one that said Picard on it. "Thank you for that warm welcome." he said after taking a deep breath. "Two hundred and twenty years ago, another captain of the Enterprise made history by helping to build the Federation. In fact, Jonathan Archer's signature is on the very charter President Sha'Gra will be signing today. One hundred and thirty years later, his successor, Captain James T. Kirk, began a new chapter in the book: Peace with the Klingons. Fifty years later, Captain Rachel Garret and the crew of the Enterprise-C gave their lives and finalized that chapter. Now, as captain of the Enterprise, I stand before you at the beginning of a new chapter."

Sha'Gra felt dizzy. Apparently she was more nervous than she thought. Perhaps it was the vast attention, or maybe it was the expectations that everyone had of her. Whatever the cause, it was starting to get to her, which was upsetting because she thought she had it under control. She listened to Picard's words with a sense of admiration. If there was anything she would rather do, it would be to explore space. Maybe when her term was over she'd become an ambassador.

She felt worse when a wave of nausea hit her. The air got stuffy and hard to take in. Her labored breathing was noticed immediately by President Ross next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." she said, only half sure of herself. "I think it's just all these people in here. The hall has never been at full capacity for over one hundred years. I'll have to see that they improve the ventilation system. I just need some fresh air."

"Would you like me to hold the ceremony until you get back?"

Sha'Gra shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I'll only be a minute." She hated to leave in the middle of Picard's speech, but she felt as if she was going to pass out if she didn't get some fresh air immediately. Standing from her chair and with her personal guard behind her she made her way to one of the exits at the rear of the central meeting area. She kept her eyes ahead of her and ignored the murmurs and glances of those in the stands, thankful that Picard could not see her leaving.

Alec made it to his position just barely in time to see the beginning of the ceremony. From his post in a room high above the dignitary lounge he had an excellent view of the entire hall. _So far so good._ Things were running smoothly. He had a good feeling about this job, one that was making him rethink his future on the Enterprise. He wanted more for Rene, and his children. He wanted Sonia and James to have a real childhood, which included friends. If Starfleet really was testing to see if he was ready to take over as head of security, he was going to be giving it some serious thought come the end of this job.

It was shortly into Picard's speech that he saw Sha'Gra, and her guards, leave the meeting area via one of the exits behind the podium. "Post one to post nineteen," he said, tapping his combadge. "What's going on down there?"

"_President Sha'Gra is feeling a little lightheaded, sir. She's going outside for some fresh air."_

"Acknowledged. Post one out." Alec couldn't blame her for being lightheaded, out of all those with a lot on their place today, she undoubtedly had the most. He looked at his Vesuvian partner, whose name was Bru'Dan. Although the young man couldn't have been more than twenty years old, he was the head of Vesuvian security. "How long have you been in security?"

The man blinked at the question, his eyes briefly changed color before reverting back to yellow. He seemed as if he were annoyed at the attempt in conversation. But he answered. "Five years."

"Five years? Pardon me saying so, but you don't seem very old. What about schooling?"

"We don't require extensive education on our planet." Bru'Dan's curtness revealed he apparently did not like to talk while on assignment, or he didn't like humans, or he just didn't like taking orders from one. Whatever the reason, he was not comfortable. "All the basic knowledge we require during the course of our lives is given to us biologically through a series of injections while we are still within the womb."

"So you're all born geniuses?" said Alec jokingly.

"Of course not. The genetic knowledge is released as we progress through life. It was decided to be this way over a century ago in order to ensure all Vesuvians got an equal chance in life. Not until we have decided what we are going to do with ourselves do we proceed into what you call education."

_If only things were that easy for us. But where's the fun growing up?_ "How do Vesuvian children make friends? Or build a social structure?"

It appeared the conversation had come to an end. Bru'Dan ignored Alec and faced towards the crowd below. He had written the human off as an outsider who would never understand. True, there were things about the human's culture that he did not understand either, but he didn't want to. His planet was joining the Federation and he had accepted that, but he never intended to leave Vesuvia.

A welcome break from the awkwardness came when the crowd once again applauding. Alec saw Captain Picard step away from the podium and return to his seat. _That was a short speech, or did I just lose track of time?_

He watched as the announcer took the podium once more. "And now, ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome the commander in chief of the United Federation of Planets, President William Ross."

Alec noticed that Sha'Gra still hadn't returned to her seat yet. More than enough time had passed for her to get outside and back. If she didn't return soon they would have to put the ceremony on hold. The southern exit of the forum would have been the closest for which to get outside. "Post one to post twenty-three, has President Sha'Gra started on her way back yet?"

"_Sir?"_

"Didn't Lieutenant Davis inform you that President Sha'Gra was headed your way?"

"_No, Commander. He didn't."_

_Maybe she took a different route, no need to panic._ "Post one to posts twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-four, has President Sha'Gra been through any of your checkpoints?"

"_This is twenty-one, that's a negative."_

"_Twenty-two here, she hasn't been by here, sir."_

"_Haven't seen so much as an insect here, Commander."_

"Post one out." Alec looked down into the crowd. _Time to panic._ President Ross still hadn't started his speech yet, the applause was too loud. "Commander Wilson to Captain Picard."

"_Picard here."_

"Captain, I've just checked in with the exterior checkpoints and they say that President Sha'Gra has not been by any of them. She's been gone too long, sir."

"_Acknowledged, Commander. I'll inform President Ross. Do what you need to."_

"Aye, sir." Alec exhaled. _Damnit, damnit, damnit. It couldn't be easy could it?_ "Post one to all checkpoints, code red. I repeat, code red. Lockdown, nobody in or out unless I say."

He turned and saw Bru'Dan looking right at him. Alec could tell his pupilless yellow eyes were full of rage. "If anything has happened to her, I will see to it personally that you pay the price."

_Not good, this is not good._


	4. Search

Chapter 4

Search

Mass speculation had already begun to spread through the crowd. No attempt was made to stop the circulation as it would have been impossible in such a situation. A good number had assumed the worst, that when Sha'Gra had failed to return it meant she had been killed by some of the extremists who had opposed entry into the Federation. While others took a still negative but slightly more optimistic view, that Sha'Gra had simply gotten cold feet and would return shortly. There was little anyone could do to contain the gossip so none tried.

Alec had immediately begun to take his frustration out on the officer that had made a crucial mistake. When Sha'Gra passed Lieutenant Davis' checkpoint he should have contacted the nearest exit post to inform them she was on her way, in failing to do so he may have let her fall into the hands of the extremists. "What the hell happened, Lieutenant?"

Reed was understandably nervous, his commanding officer was angry with him and with good reason. "I'm sorry, sir. With President Sha'Gra's personal guard with her I didn't think anyone would have tried anything."

_They'd be stupid to._ Alec knew what he meant, but this was no time for camaraderie. This was a rare time where his duty required him to remind his staff that he was their commanding officer first and friend second. It was not something he enjoyed, but it had to be done. "Regardless of the size of their muscles they're still vulnerable to a phaser set to kill, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir. I didn't think of that at the time. There's no excuse for my mistake."

"You're damn right there's not. My god, Josh. You're a good officer, but something like this could destroy your career."

"There's no excuse for it, sir. I accept full responsibility and deserve whatever punishment I receive."

Alec could see the fear and embarrassment in Reed's eyes. He could not help but feel sympathy for the young man, accidents inevitably happen. But that was not an excuse Starfleet would accept, no matter how many times it had been demonstrated in the past. Even little mistakes can lead to big consequences. "Now isn't the time for a tribunal, we have to find Sha'Gra. Get out there and help with the search, I'll do what I can to protect you but I can't make any guarantees."

"Yes, sir." Davis left the observation room, less upbeat than he normally was on the ship.

On the table in front of him, Alec had a complete layout of the building. There was currently a simultaneous floor by floor search in progress. Not only did they not know where Sha'Gra was but there were no witnesses to give an account of her location after she had left the main hall. So if they couldn't locate her in the building, Alec had no idea where to begin searching. This was not the way he was hoping today would turn out. He smacked the surface of the table. "Damn!"

After a shirt brooding period, Alec joined the search. He wasn't sure what he could add but he couldn't just sit around, his sense of duty-and not to mention his conscience-wouldn't allow it. He felt helpless, and he didn't like it. He took as much pride in his intelligence as he did in his physical ability, this defeat hurt him as bad as any physical assault ever could. Someone had beaten him and as a result Starfleet would likely not trust him to be in charge of something of this magnitude again. When Alec was scolding Davis for making a mistake and destroying his career, he was talking as much to himself as he was to the young Lieutenant. He was not looking forward to the coming days.

Alec was surprised by the number of rooms and corridors in the building. Once one had been inside the main hall it was difficult to imagine there being much more to the building. Aside from the seemingly endless corridors there were presentation rooms, offices, a large dining area, staterooms for V.I.Ps and a historical records room.

He had completed searching two floors with Lieutenant John Edwards when he started to get impatient. He was annoyed that they had not yet found Sha'Gra and that they even had to search for her to begin with. "Son of a bitch." he exclaimed.

"Problems?" Edwards opened the nearest door and looked inside. Nothing. Just a desk and chair.

"You could say that. We shouldn't even be here right now. We should be having celebrating with a glass of champagne like everyone else. But instead, here we are, because I screwed up."

"This isn't your fault, Commander. You couldn't have foreseen this."

"I should have had more guards patrolling the halls."

Edwards put his hand on Alec's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Then there'd be missing guards. I have a feeling this would have happened no matter what precautions were taken. It's one of those things that nobody saw coming. Like Pearl Harbor, and 9/11."

_There's logic to that. And thanks for choosing such catastrophes to compare._ Alec took some small comfort in his deputy's words, but he was still angry at himself. "Damnit, this place is too big."

"Feels like I've checked this room three times already." said Edwards after closing another door. "I want to have a word with whoever designed this place."

Alec opened the next door and looked in. "When we get back to the Enterprise I'll let you borrow my time machine."

"Could it be the Romulans?" asked Edwards.

"I don't see what they'd have to gain."

"What about Vesuvia's dilithium?"

Alec shook his head. The Romulans had no use for dilithium. Their ships were powered by artificial quantum singularities, they had nothing to gain by usurping the mines from Vesuvia. Unless they planned to use them as a bargaining chip, but Alec found that unlikely. If it was the Romulans then they were after something else.

The search went on for two more hours. The teams went through every room, every hall, Sha'Gra and her guards were nowhere to be found. Alec and Lieutenant Edwards however did find the necklace she had been wearing, it's clasp broken. Wherever she might have been at the moment one thing was clear: She did not go of her own free will.

The Vesuvian public was demanding answers. Their state of unrest was understandable, they were virtual prisoners in the main hall. Alec was relieved they had not yet started pointing the finger at the one in charge of security. Questioning twenty thousand people was not a fast process. There was no official announcement regarding the postponement of the ceremony or their subsequent containment but as before the mass speculation had satisfied the imagination of those in the hall.

Alec beamed back aboard the Enterprise in an attempt to find Sha'Gra with the ship's sensors. He was ultimately met with frustration as the sensors couldn't detect a trace of her. The only clue was the necklace found in the corridor. Alec couldn't put his finger on it but he knew it was important. The only thing he could think of doing was walking through the forum room by room with a tricorder but another search would most likely be futile and he doubted those in the main hall would be willing to stay put for any longer. He finally decided to release all but those that had been identified as members of the extremist movement. Of those there were only thirty-two, a significant number down from twenty thousand. Alec had Troi present during their questioning. Her experience with Vesuvians was limited but she was confident in her conclusion that they knew nothing about Sha'Gra's disappearance. Because there was no evidence against them, Alec had no choice but to release them. He was back to square one.

He went back to the plans for the building. He looked at the layout for each floor, certain that he missed something. The building was similar in its layout to ancient sports arenas on Earth. The different rooms surrounded the main hall in an oval, simple but efficient. But unlike the ancient arenas, the outer rim of the building was larger, giving more room for the functions of the government. A room, a hallway, a nook or cranny, something was amiss. And in the middle of a cup of coffee he found what he was looking for. In the area where Sha'Gra's necklace was found was a door in the blueprints, but it was not present in the building. A phantom door.

"Gotcha."

Alec summoned the senior staff to the observation lounge. Jobra was brought in as well, having been the ambassador for over a decade he would most likely be aware of any hidden areas that were otherwise not considered. They all looked curiously at Alec, knowing that he would not have assembled them unless he had found something.

Finally Alec spoke. "Before I get to the real reason for calling you all here I'll give an update of what has transpired just so rumor is separated from fact. Shortly after the ceremony began, President Sha'Gra left the main hall to go outside for fresh air. A lack of communication between checkpoints resulted in her apparent abduction. A thorough search of the building by my security team could not find her, however the necklace she was wearing was recovered."

"So because of a miscommunication our president could be dead somewhere?" Jobra was more upset about the events of the day than anyone. His close friend had gone missing and so far the only trace of her these Starfleet officers could find was her jewelry.

"First of all," said Alec firmly. He matched the Vesuvian ambassador's hard gaze with his own, only his was like diamond. "She's not dead."

Jobra scoffed. He was apparently not interested in diplomacy at the moment. They were all surprised to see this side of him, until now he had displayed an exuberance matched only by that of a hyperactive child. "How do you know that? You just said you hadn't been able to find her."

"Because if whoever was behind this wanted her dead we would have a body."

"That's speculation." spat Jobra.

"That's logic. They had a perfect chance to kill her when she was out in the open in the main hall. If you want a more public place to assassinate someone and make a statement you'll find no better one than in front of billions of people. But instead, they waited until her and her guards were alone before they made their move. Which means they want her for something. No, she's not dead."

Silence befell the room. Alec was right and they knew it, even Jobra. If those responsible wanted Sha'Gra dead they would have done so at a time where maximum panic and chaos could be achieved. Such an objective is not reached in a vacant hallway but rather in front of a large audience.

"Secondly," added Alec, a touch of venom spit out with his words. "You're not in a position to criticize my officers for miscommunication, Ambassador." He entered a command into the small panel on his right. The monitor on the wall opposite the windows activated.

"What are we looking at, Commander?" asked Picard, speaking for the first time. He was impressed with the way Alec held his own against Jobra. To be in the career that he is, the ambassador has to be an expert debater and Alec managed to silence him before he got going.

"This is the real reason why I brought you all here." Alec left his chair and walked around the end of the table to the monitor, pointing at it as he neared. "This is the layout of the floor where we found Sha'Gra's necklace. The layout shows every doorway, hallway, and office." He entered more commands into the console next to the monitor, the image magnified and centered on a single doorways. "This doorway is in the plans but it's not present in the building."

"You think it's a hidden passage?" asked Riker. He could see that Jobra was displaying classic signs of anxiety. Alec had scored a direct hit.

"That's exactly what I think."

"It could be a mistake in the blueprints." said La Forge.

"I don't think so." said Alec. "These plans are over a thousand years old. They've had a millennia to correct any discrepancies contained within the records. There's a door there alright. And I'm guessing by our good ambassador's mannerisms that he knew about it."

All eyes were now on Jobra. He was sweating, and his hands were trembling. If he was in the dark as to the door's existence then he was struck by a high fever. "Ambassador?" said Picard.

"Yes," said Jobra after a moment. "I knew about the door."

"Where does it lead?" asked Riker, now paying full attention to the meeting.

"To a series of underground caverns. They were dug out when the forum was built in case anyone ever lay siege to it. It would allow the president and the high-ranking officials to escape."

Picard leaned forward on the table and left no doubt in Jobra's mind as to his disposition. "Why didn't you share this with the security teams when they were conducting their search?"

"Because it's a secret, Captain. Only those who would ever be using it are aware of its existence. And only we have access to it."

"It appears someone was able to circumvent it." added Data.

"You should have informed us about this before we began the search," said Alec. "We spent all this time looking. We could have found her by now if we had known."

"I had no reason to think anyone else knew or had access to the passage. Otherwise I would have most certainly shared this information with you. I know what you're thinking right now but I assure you I had no hands in this whatsoever. I've known Sha'Gra since she was a child, I have no wish to see her harmed."

Troi believed him. The mere thought that anyone would suspect him of being involved hurt Jobra. "He's telling the truth, Captain."

Picard nodded solemnly. "Commander Wilson, beam down with a security detail. Conduct a search of the underground passages. Unless you have any objections, Ambassador."

"I'll open the passage for you." said Jobra.

Alec and his security detail materialized in the empty halls of the forum. He recognized it as the general vicinity of where he and Edwards found the necklace. To his left was the wall containing the hidden passage. He thought it only logical that there be a secret escape route in the building. Several others in history had concealed passages in case they were besieged: Countless castles in Medieval Earth for example, The Tower of Commerce on Ferenginar, and he was sure there was one somewhere at Federation Headquarters, although there had been no official declaration as such.

Jobra maneuvered his way through the Starfleet officers and positioned himself in front of the wall. He raised his left arm into the air and pulled back the sleeve. Around his wrist was a bracelet, it looked similar in design to the necklace that Sha'Gra had lost in the corridor. Alec had not noticed it before. _That must be a remote for the door._ He lowered his hand to his side and held open the flap of his tricorder in its holster. Jobra removed the bracelet from his wrist and turned over the rectangular plate that was centered between the clasps. He pressed the center and said something that must have been in his native tongue.

The entranceway appeared out of nowhere. The designers did a remarkable job concealing the door. Alec closed his tricorder. He could not see so much as a crease in the door. _Open sesame._ He saw stairs leading downward. Jobra began to head through the doorway, but Alec stopped him. "Hold it, Ambassador. We don't know who or what is down there. I think it best you stay here."

"It's easy to get lost down there if you don't know where you're going."

"We've got our tricorders. I'm guessing there's a dampening field down there and that's why I never detected the caverns during my sensor search for Sha'Gra. We might not be able to scan the area but we can at least map out where we've been and find our way back here if need be."

Jobra nodded and reluctantly stepped aside. "I'll leave the door open. The building is empty aside from essential personnel so there's no need to keep its existence known from prying eyes. One last thing: There are underground streams in the caverns. One in particular has a hallucinogenic effect on my people. There's no way of knowing what it will do to you."

_And you're just telling us now?_ It took all of Alec's restrain to not yell at Bru'Dan for again keeping information from them. Evidently, being an ambassador didn't involve offering details.

"Understood." Alec pulled his phaser from his side and changed the setting. "Set phasers for medium stun." The three security officers he brought along followed suit. "Let's go." Before taking another step, he stared at the mouth of the opening. He could not help but draw a comparison to a certain door from ancient Italian literature. "Abandon all hope, those who enter here."

"Sir?" asked Edwards.

_John, you've got to read Dante's Inferno._ Alec took a step forward. "Nevermind." _Level one._ He wished he had brought Lieutenant McClary along, she would have enjoyed this.

It took nearly a minute and a half for them to descend the stairs. Alec estimated they were about a hundred feet below the surface. It was room temperature down in the caverns and the air tasted quite fresh. The caves must have an artificial ventilation system installed in the event of a prolonged stay. It wasn't extremely dark but it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the change in light. When his vision corrected itself Alec could see the cavern they were currently in branched off into three different sections. He had expected them to split up at one point, just not right away. The idea of separating at all didn't sit well with him especially in unfamiliar territory, but they would cover more ground that way.

Lieutenant Edwards came up behind Alec. "I know what you're thinking."

"I didn't know you were related to Deanna." Alec sighed. _Here we go._ "John, take the center tunnel. Lieutenant Davis, Lieutenant Ivens, take the right. Separate when you get a chance. Sha'Gra might not be down here but I want to find her as soon as possible if she is. Set your tricorders to continue scanning while closed."

The officers went to their assigned route and Alec found himself alone in the first cavern. He did not like isolation. Being alone was probably the least desirable thing to a person, and it was something that he had felt too much for his own tastes within his lifetime. He was determined to find Sha'Gra. Too much had gone wrong today already and he did not intend to have this incident written into his permanent record as a total failure.

He kept his phaser drawn. As fast a draw as he was he knew the old saying that 'there's always someone faster.' In the split second it took him to reach for his sidearm he could wind up with a smoking hole in his chest. _That wouldn't sit well with Rene, or me for that matter._

The threat made by Alec's Vesuvian counterpart stuck in his head. Bru'Dan would have been well within his rights for vengeance if some twisted fate had befallen Sha'Gra. He could only imagine what kind of punishment system the Vesuvians had. Whatever it was he was confident he could take it, he withstood Borg torture. But that didn't mean he was eager to experience Vesuvian wrath.

The path that Alec followed was beginning to slant downward, taking him further underground. He wished he had brought a wrist beacon for although there were lamps installed in the walls throughout the tunnel system they were about as bright as the emergency lighting on a starship's bridge. At points where tunnels intersected there was no lighting at all. If he were to recognize anyone in this lighting he would have to be a few feet away. That was cutting it close when trying to determine friend or foe. The eyes could play tricks on one's eyes in this lighting. Alec's ears were starting to play tricks on him as well, he thought he had heard something, almost like an oozing sound. He only heard it for a split second, then shook it off as his imagination asserting itself. _From lack of use._

Alec understood what Jobra meant when he said it was easy to get lost. If it weren't for the proverbial trail of breadcrumbs in the form of his tricorder it would take him forever to find his way back to where he started, but he didn't intend to head back there until he accomplished what he went underground to do.

He wondered how the others were doing, if they had found Sha'Gra or her guards yet. Alec hoped for Lieutenant Davis' sake that he was the one that retrieved her, at least one person should come out of this with a relatively clean slate.

The difficulty seeing in the darkness was beginning to frustrate him. And he imagined that oozing noise once more. The further he progressed through the tunnel system the warmer it started to get, and the air got stuffy. The ventilation system appeared to stretch only so far. _Add some humidity and the Borg would be pretty comfortable here._ He was beginning to long for the day he was a prisoner in Unimatrix 01, but only in the sense that he knew what to expect around each corner, and he could see.

Alec rounded a corner and walked right through a stream of water falling from the roof of the cave. _That must be what was making the noise I heard. Damnit, I wonder if that was the stream with the hallucinogens. If I start hallucinating I'll know._ The cool water was a welcome respite from the warm stuffy air of the cavern. _Nothing like a cold shower to wake you up._ He was tempted to stand there in the miniature waterfall to escape the heat but the search of the caverns had been put off for long enough.

Using his free hand he wiped the water out of his eyes. His vision was compromised enough without it being blurry. Alec chose the wrong moment to take his attention off the tunnel. A few steps after walking past the stream of water he stumbled on something and fell to the ground, his phaser flew from the his grip and landed somewhere in the darkness ahead. He cursed to himself for not paying attention to where he was going, it could have just as easily been a bottomless pit ahead of him. After spitting out the dirt in his mouth, Alec rolled over to try and get a look at the rock he had tripped over. At first glance he could see the form was much bigger than a rock. The closer he got, the more he was able to make out what he was looking at. It was not a rock that caused him to fall, but rather the body of one of Sha'Gra's guards, his partner lay beside him. Phaser wounds were centered in both their chests.

_Am I imagining this? If it's not real than this is one of the fastest working hallucinogens I've heard of._ Alec was relieved that it had not been Sha'Gra he had found but was dismayed that he had the apparent deaths of her guards on his conscience. _Unless it really is her and I'm just imagining her guards._ He derailed that particular train of thought for the time being.

The danger just got real. Using their body temperature to judge how long they had been dead would have been futile for he had no knowledge of Vesuvian physiology with which to make an assessment. He turned away from the site of death and began to look for his phaser. It was relatively easy to find. Its dorsal surface was facing the rockface, its setting lights illuminating the stone wall. There was a killer, or killers on the loose and he had no intention of facing them unarmed. He gripped his phaser in his hand as if it were the sword of Damocles, ready to strike down any who posed a threat to his or anyone else's life.

He was fully alert now, he wouldn't allow his attention to falter like that again. If the dampening field wasn't in effect he would have contacted the rest of the security team, but instead he would have to wait until they found him or vice-versa. Again Alec heard the oozing noise that he attributed to the underground spring. _Must be another vent nearby._ He entered a large cavern. Just opposite him was an opening leading to another tunnel. The endless cave system was beginning to grow tiresome. If he went the rest of his life without going into another cave he'd die a happy man. He was about to step forward when something caught the attention of his ear. It wasn't the oozing he had heard before. This was a crunching, and it repeated itself twice every second. Footsteps. Somebody was making their way through the tunnel ahead of him. The footsteps got louder, his stomach churned with each crunch of the dirt.

A silhouette stepped into view in the cave opening ahead. _Damn, I wish there was more light._ Alec raised his phaser. "Stay where you are."

The form froze. He was hoping to hear something along the lines of 'Commander, am I ever glad to see you.' But the only voice he heard was the subsequent echo of his own. His eyes might have been playing tricks on him in the low lighting but he could have sworn he saw the silhouetted shape of a Jem'Hadar soldier. _Impossible, they were all sent back to the Gamma Quadrant after the war, it was one of the conditions of our victory. This has got to be the hallucinogen._ The figure's left arm began to reach to it's side.

"Don't move. Identify yourself." His own vocal reflection was once more the only reply. Then Alec heard something he hadn't heard in over two years, something he thought he'd never hear again. He was positive he heard the sound of a polaron disruptor charging. Only one race used a polaron disruptor, the Jem'Hadar. The figure's arm rose from its side. Alec was sure he saw the shadowed outline of a gun. _I can't take a chance. He aimed his own phaser, and fired._


	5. Aftermath

Chapter 5

Aftermath

The silhouette fell. For a brief moment the light from Alec's phaser beam illuminated the cave but not enough for him to see his target. Even though he head beaten his adversary to the draw he did not holster his phaser. He did not know how many more there were in the caverns but he was fairly confident this was not the only one. To get Sha'Gra's guards down here would have required more muscle and firepower than one soldier could muster. He doubted the guards were killed topside and placed here, weapons fire would have been detected.

Alec paced slowly towards the fallen figure. What he was able to see when he got close chilled his soul. He hoped he was wrong. For the first time he was desperate for his eyes to be playing tricks on him. _No. Please, God. No._ He closed his eyes, hoping the body before him would change shape. But it didn't. There was no scaly grey skin, no battle uniform, no tubes for ketracel-white. Lying there before him, with a fatal phaser wound right where her Vesuvian heart beat just seconds before, was Sha'Gra. His grip on his phaser relaxed and it fell to the dirt, the echo as loud as any explosion he heard during the war.

Alec rushed to her side. As he checked her vital signs he was not surprised but still dismayed to see there were none. "Commander Wilson to Enterprise!" There was no answer. Which meant the dampening field was still up. He couldn't understand how he could have made such a horrible mistake. He would have bet all the latinum in the Ferengi Alliance that the person he fired upon had been a Jem'Hadar soldier. All the evidence, what little there was, had led him to that conclusion. The shape of the silhouette, the sound of a polaron disruptor charging, and what Alec had perceived as the weapon itself. Her hand held nothing that resembled the weapon of the Dominion's deadliest warrior.

Her lifeless eyes stared up at him, black as the darkest, starless night. They peered into his soul, intensifying the guilt that was already tormenting him. It was as if her eyes were their own separate entity. They were judging him, tearing him down. He could not bear to peer into those eyes any longer, yet he could not look away. He reached out and closed her eyelids.

Alec didn't know how long he knelt there over her empty body but he thought it had to be at least twenty minutes. The silence seemed to be judging him as well, total isolation felt like an appropriate punishment. A comchannel opening freed him from the deafening silence. _"...terprise to Commander Wilson. This is Captain Picard. Can you hear me?"_

He hit his combadge with enough force to crack diamond. "Wilson here, Captain."

"_Good to hear your voice, Commander. Jobra managed to convince Vesuvian security to lower the dampening field. What is your status? Have you found President Sha'Gra?"_

And there it was. The lowest point his career could ever reach. "Yes, Captain." said Alec. "I found her."

Alec was soon joined by Captain Picard, Ambassador Jobra and several members of the Vesuvian security force. Several floodlights had been brought into the cavern to assist in the investigation. He saw the guard that had been his partner in the observation room, no doubt looking forward to backing up his claim of vengeance. The security force would no doubt be taking him into custody in the coming minutes.

He knew telling his captain what happened would be the hardest thing Alec would ever have to do. He felt like he was giving a final confession before facing a firing squad.

"What exactly happened, Commander?"

Alec's mouth wouldn't work right away. He was still in shock over what had transpired. With everyone standing over him, as Sha'Gra's body was taken away, he found his voice. "My security team and I separated. With the dampening field in place there was no way for us to communicate. About ten minutes after we divided I came across the bodies of Sha'Gra's personal guards. They both had wounds from a particle weapon. Without a fully functional tricorder I was unable to get specifics. But my instincts tell me it will turn out to be a Romulan disruptor. After venturing into another cavern I stopped when I heard footsteps. It was too dark to see anything clearly but I thought I saw the form of a Jem'Hadar soldier."

"Jem'Hadar soldier? Are you sure, Commander?" Picard had his doubts about Alec's proclamation. There was no reason for a Jem'Hadar soldier to be in the Alpha Quadrant. He had no doubt about Alec's sincerity of what he thought he saw, he just didn't see how it was possible.

"I'm positive, Captain. I then heard the sound of a polaron disruptor charging. After my time on the front line during the Dominion War that sound is unmistakable. I then saw what appeared to be the weapon itself. It was then that I fired my phaser."

Alec's former partner and new enemy stepped forward. He appeared to be in charge down there. "So you admit to murdering our president."

Alec looked his counterpart straight in the eyes. "No, I admit to doing what I thought was necessary to ensure my survival."

The guard took another step towards Alec and hardened his gaze. "The end result is the same. Our president is dead at your hand."

Alec was unable to dispute that. There was no response he could think of to adequately defend himself, and he doubted intent would work very well. Not very many things were in his favor.

Two Vesuvian guards entered the small cavern from where Alec first came through. They had just come form the tunnel where he had found the bodies of Sha'Gra's guards. One of them held what Alec presumed was the Vesuvian equivalent of a tricorder. The guard looked angrily at Alec.

The guard that Alec referred to as The Warden approached them. It was the security officer that he had attempted to converse with in the observation room. Alec had assumed he was just a guard, but he turned out to be the head of Vesuvian security. It was no wonder he had held such contempt for Alec. His personal authority had been usurped. And he was now asserting it once more, no doubt with some enjoyment. "What have you discovered?"

"The results are irrefutable." said the guard holding the scanner. "The president's guards were killed by a Starfleet phaser."

"That's impossible!" Alec rose in a flash and was immediately grabbed at the arms by Vesuvian guards. He threw off the guard on his right and was about to do the same to the other when Picard objected to his reaction. Alec knew his captain was right, he could have made a bad situation worse. The fallen guard grabbed his arm once again and was assisted by two more.

"I want to see the results of those scans." said Picard.

"And you may do so." said The Warden. "If you wish to be present at his interrogation." He nodded at the guards holding Alec. His arms were held behind him as he was put in shackles. "Your chief of security is under arrest for the murder of our President, and the suspected murder of her guards."

Picard was silent. He wanted to tell his officer that everything would be alright, that they would sort it out, that it was just a misunderstanding. But Alec had already said that he had fired. There wasn't much Picard could do to protect him. He never felt so helpless as he did right now, when one of his officers was going to take a fall.

The senior staff of the Enterprise awaited the arrival of their captain in the observation lounge. They had received the news about Alec and were all curious as to what Picard intended to do about the situation. The problem lied in the fact that the incident took place on Vesuvian soil, therefore it fell under their jurisdiction. As a result, Alec was subject to their laws and punishments.

Captain Picard, President Ross, and Ambassador Neelix entered the room. At the sight of those rising at the table in response to his presence Ross raised his arm, signaling them to be at ease. He wasn't much of a stickler for presidential etiquette, he just wanted to do the best job he could with his position.

Picard wasted no time in getting started when he sat down. "By now you're all aware of what has transpired down on the surface. I don't need to tell you that an international incident like this could have massive repercussions."

"What's going to happen to Alec, Captain?" Riker was slightly hunched forward at the table, the displeasure in his voice was as apparent as his beard.

"At the moment he is in the custody of Vesuvian security. His interrogation is scheduled for an hour from now. I will be present during the process."

"Captain, I would also like to be there. As president of the union I think it would be a sign of good faith."

"I understand your viewpoint, Mr. President, but I feel I must advise against it."

"I agree with Captain Picard." said Data. "There are numerous extremist cells that oppose Federation membership. They may decide to use this incident as an excuse to retaliate. Your life could be in danger if you choose to beam to the planet."

Troi paid only half attention to the meeting. The other half was towards a nearing presence. She felt someone's strong anger and pain. It was close to the observation lounge and getting closer by the second. The doors opened and Alec's frantic wife, Rene, entered the room. She was followed closely by an ensign.

"...I don't care. I'm going in." said Rene in midsentence.

Picard held up a hand to her follower. "It's alright, Ensign."

Rene glared at her unwanted escort as he left her side. She then turned her attention to the meeting. Her frustration radiated outward as if it were a visible aura. "Captain Picard, what's going on? Nobody will tell me anything. Where is my husband?"

Picard had to handle this delicately. The wrong thing could set her off like an unstable warp core. "Rene, perhaps if you'd like to go wait in my ready room I can be with you shor-"

She didn't let him to finish. "I don't want to wait, Captain. I'd like to be included now. It's a safe bet that this meeting is about Alec and as his wife I think I deserve to be told."

The veteran captain sighed. He knew she wasn't going without a fight. And there was a good chance ship's security would be more than hesitant to haul away the wife of their department head. In fact, they might be more afraid of her than him. The easiest and morally right thing to do would be to let her stay. "Please sit, Rene."

"Thank you." She was relieved that she did not have to cause a scene. Troi indicated the empty seat next to her and Rene sat in it. There was one of two reasons for it: Either Troi was just giving her friend a seat, or the news was bad and the counselor knew Rene would need consoling. Considering the hush hush treatment she had been coming across, Rene was convinced it was the latter.

"Rene, a short while ago your husband was placed under arrest for the murder of President Sha'Gra and the suspected murder of her guards."

She felt as if she had just been dealt a great blow. The very thought that her husband was capable of such a cold blooded, evil act was not only ridiculous to her, but insulting. "Somebody's made a mistake! Alec would never-"

"Rene, try to stay calm." said Troi. She placed her hand on Rene's shoulder. The fear she sensed was twice as strong and was growing.

"What proof do they have?"

"I'm afraid that's where the trouble lies. Alec has admitted to firing the phaser that killed Sha'Gra. And while the evidence against him regarding her guards is circumstantial that is the lesser problem." Even while he was still talking, Picard saw her eyes widen with shock.

"A mistake has been made! Alec would only kill in self defense and Sha'Gra did not seem like the kind of person that would force him to make that choice."

Riker took some of the pressure off of his captain. "Alec claims that he was firing on what appeared to be a Jem'Hadar soldier."

"That that's what happened. My husband doesn't not hallucinate and he does not make up stories to cover his ass. If he says he saw a Jem'Hadar, he saw one."

"Unfortunately, the lack of evidence seems to disprove that defence." said Data, adding to the bad news. "Further searches of the underground caverns have revealed no sign of any Jem'Hadar nor the weapon Commander Wilson claims he heard."

Rene exhaled a breath of frustration. "So what happens now?"

"Rest assured, we're going to do everything we can." Picard felt pathetic with that answer but he could think of no other reply. He would have to wait until after Alec was interrogated to have an accurate idea of what was going to happen. He was just thankful to learn that Vesuvian interrogations involved no other worldly technology, no torture, no injections with a truth serum, just question and answer. The way he felt it should be.

Rene wished her children were on board. Although she did not enjoy the idea of telling them that Daddy was in trouble she would rather tell them herself. And she could just picture the smug 'I told you so' attitude her father would present her with upon hearing the news which would no doubt make its way across the Federation in the coming days. "I think I'll return to my quarters."

"By all means." said Picard. "Counselor, if you will."

Troi rose from her chair to take Rene home. "Of course."

The interrogation room was relatively simple. As two guards escorted him in, Alec found that the most interesting thing to look at was the table. He was taken to the table and forced into the chair a little rougher than he cared for. His shackled hands were held in front of him on the table surfaced and then released. He found that even though his arm muscles had relaxed his arms themselves would not retract. The conclusion being there must be some sort of EM field emanating from the table. _Good idea._

The Warden came into the room. A smug look of superiority spread across his face. Coming in behind him before the doors closed were the two investigators that proclaimed Sha'Gra's guards dead by Starfleet phaser. One of them carried a small case in his hand. _Witnesses and evidence probably._ The Warden sat down directly across from Alec. The look in his Vesuvian eyes was unmistakable. It said 'I've got you.' Alec contemplated sticking his tongue out at his interrogator, or maybe even giving him an ancient Earth gesture known as 'flipping the bird' but The Warden was unlikely to know the meaning of either. Plus, he considered it wise not to antagonize these people any further.

Alec was being given the stare treatment. No doubt The Warden's attempt to intimidate him. _Nice try, I perfected the stare treatment._ Alec just stared right back. "You really think that's going to work on me?"

The Warden feigned ignorance for a moment before the realization sank in that he was dealing with a professional. "My usual tactics will probably have less effect on you, but I know a few things that may surprise you."

Alec almost laughed. "I think you'll end up being the surprised one. Starfleet officers are better trained in practically every field than any other institution."

"Do those fields include conspiracy and assassination?"

Alec had to resist the urge to lash out. That one stung hard. The Warden smiled, probably noting the anger on Alec's face. He hadn't been prepared for that. "Not as a rule, no."

"From the moment I heard that we were joining the Federation I was opposed to it. The Federation is nothing but a magnet for attack. The Xindi, the Klingons, the Cardassians, the Borg, the Dominion. The Federation's list of enemies is endless. I can't understand why Sha'Gra would have wanted to ally us with you."

"You need a history lesson." Alec laughed to himself at The Warden's ignorance of the facts. "The Federation didn't even exist when the Xindi attacked humanity. They only attacked us out of fear and misinformation. Sound familiar?"

"No doubt they would have attacked you anyway had they known what a pestilence on the galaxy you were to become."

Again Alec refused to take the bait. However if his hands hadn't been secured to the table he imagined he'd be pummeling the racist Vesuvian that sat across from him. "You fail to realize the Dominion and the Borg would have ravaged your world long ago had we not stopped them."

"From what I understand, the Dominion attacked the Federation in response to your repeated violation of their space. And the Borg would have stayed in the Delta Quadrant had you again stayed where you belong. The Federation has a habit of attracting enemies, wouldn't you say?"

Alec wasn't even going to dignify the bigot that he was beginning to loath. Through his life he had encountered several people who disliked the Federation or humanity itself for one reason or another, but never one so ignorant of the facts. He simply leaned forward, and spoke with his own hint of superiority. "You know, you people make me sick. And when I say 'you people' I don't mean Vesuvians. I like your people, you have one of the most beautiful cultures I've ever seen. When I say 'you people' I mean arrogant, ignorant, close minded idiots who are so focused on their own points of view that they won't examine others. You're locked on the propaganda coming from others like you it's blinded you. The ignorant always take the biggest fall when they're shown the light, and I'm going to be there when you learn that. So spare me the smug, self righteous attitude you stupid, arrogant bastard."

The Warden was probably unaccustomed to people speaking to him in such a disrespectful way that he was not sure how to deal with it. He seemed to be deciding between lashing out physically or with speech. His lower lip trembled with a fury that Alec was pleased to have stirred. When his enemies chose to get dirty Alec was more than happy to get his hands in the muck and fight back.

Captain Picard was led into the interrogation room. Upon his entry he saw Alec sitting at a table in the center with a guard sitting opposite him. He knew the guard to also be the head of security for the city. He name was Bru'Dan, and Picard could tell immediately that he had an extreme dislike for Alec, not surprising however. Picard looked at the shackles which held Alec's hands to the table. He found it amusing that Alec could get out of them if he truly wished it, and he was glad that such a thing had not happened.

"Captain," said Alec upon noticing his captain. "Glad you could join us. The Warden and I were running out of things to say."

Picard might have smiled had the situation not been so serious. He took a seat next to Alec and put his hands together on the surface of the table. "I trust he's been well treated, Bru'Dan."

"He has suffered far less than he deserves."

"They could at least learn to let me sit myself down. Apparently they seem to think I like to be thrown into my chair."

The interrogation proceeded. Most of what was suggested made Picard shake his head. Bru'Dan appeared to be under the impression that Alec was behind a conspiracy to obtain Vesuvia's dilithium planets. All of what Bru'Dan presented was purely speculative with no solid proof. Picard was aware of the tactic. Bru'Dan was trying to trick Alec into revealing something tangible and incriminating. But he knew that even if Alec was guilty of the conspiracy with which he was accused he would be too smart to fall for such a ploy.

"This is the part I have been looking forward to." Bru'Dan motioned for the guard holding the case to approach the table. The case was placed on the table and Bru'Dan moved it closer to himself. "Commander, do you consider yourself a peaceful man?"

Alec looked at his captain with a look of puzzlement which Picard shared. "You've already made up your mind about that subject so what bearing does my answer have?"

"Humor me."

Alec was only answering because he wanted to know where this question was going. "Yes, I do. There have been times where I've been required to use violence, it comes with the job. And I won't deny that a certain excitement comes too, but I'd like to think that everyone in the Federation wants peace."

"Typical Federation answer." Bru'Dan acted as if he expected the response word for word. He was tapping his fingers on the case, seemingly relishing the moment. The tapping stopped and he opened the case, but at an angle which Picard and Alec could not see the contents. "Commander, isn't it true that when they are put in storage, Starfleet phasers are set to a default of level 1?"

"Yes, low stun." Alec realized the case contained his phaser, the one he dropped in the cave after he saw Sha'Gra's body.

"Why is that?"

"Safety precaution."

"Accidents happen, correct?"

"On occasion, yes." Alec sensed the point was near.

"Did you at any time during your search of the underground caverns change the setting of your phaser?

"Yes. Just before my officers and I entered the caverns I told them to set their phasers on medium stun, which is level 2." After Alec said those words a revelation hit him that should have occurred to him sooner but he had been so preoccupied with the severity of what happened. Medium stun could not account for the fatal damage caused to Sha'Gra, unless Vesuvians were more susceptible to damage from Starfleet phasers. It was possibly, but he had his doubts. For the first time, he realized how very wrong things were.

Bru'Dan reached into the case and removed a type II phaser into view of Alec and Captain Picard. "Then perhaps, as a man of peace, who must occasionally resort to violence, you can tell me why your phaser is set to level 7."

Alec's eyes went wide as the phaser was slid across the table towards him. Picard picked up the phaser and examined the display, verifying that it was indeed on level 7. Such a setting would cause severe dermal damage and cellular disruption much like the wounds inflicted upon Sha'Gra and her guards.

He was furious. Someone was setting him up for a fall, and he intended to find out who. He considered for a moment that the setting might have been changed when it flew from his grip after he tripped over the body of her guard, but he discarded that thought. The setting controls are pressure sensitive and cannot be changed by a jarring impact. Alec looked at his captain. His face was grim.

"It seems to me," continued Bru'Dan. "That a person would not have his weapon on that setting unless he had something other than peace on his mind. Wouldn't you agree, Captain?"

Picard said nothing, he just pushed the phaser back across the table to Bru'Dan, whose demeanor was getting smugger by the minute. The Vesuvian took the weapon and placed it once more in the case. "For the sake of diplomatic relations. I've going to allow you to return to your ship. Until we decide how we're going to proceed with this atrocity."

The shackles restraining Alec opened and he drew his hands back towards his chest. He rubbed his tender wrists until some of the soreness was alleviated. _I bet I could jump out of my chair and have Bru'Dan on the floor before either of the guards knew what was going on._

"_Ambassador Jobra will contact you shortly." said Bru'Dan._

"_Picard to Enterprise. Two to beam up."_

_Bru'Dan watched the Starfleet officers disappear before him. He then turned to the guards still in the room. "Leave" he said. They obeyed, exiting the room immediately. He removed a p.a.d.d. from the case that held the phaser and pressed a switch on the underside of table. In the back of the room on the right side a wall segment raised into the ceiling, revealing darkness. A silhouette was visible. Bru'Dan left the table and approached the figure, handing over the p.a.d.d. "Here's the update you asked for, mistress."_

_A hand reached out for the darkness, the gray sleeve of her uniform came down to her wrist. "Thank you, Bru'Dan. Your assistance has been most appreciated." Her voice was full and soothing, yet sinister at the same time. "A day of reckoning for the Federation will soon be at hand."_


	6. Decision

Chapter 6

Resolve

No matter how hard she tried, Rene could just not get comfortable on the sofa which her and Troi were seated. Her tea sitting on the table was cold and untouched. Not many words had been exchanged since their arrival in Rene's quarters but Troi's presence was more for comfort from company than counseling

"Deanna," said Rene, her head facing the window. The beautiful blue and green orb that was Vesuvia spun ever so slowly outside. "What am I going to do if they put my husband away for the rest of his life? Or even worse, what if they decide to exe-"

"Captain Picard will not let that happen." Troi spoke firmly, her voice was an unwavering sound of confidence. She looked Rene in the eyes so there would be no misunderstanding. "He will do whatever it takes to ensure Alec's safety."

"But what if it isn't enough?" Rene pushed herself away from the sofa and walked towards the window until she was directly next to it. To her, each star that shone out there in the infinity of space just represented another thing that could go wrong. "This isn't some holodeck program that we can just shut off or some Borg Unimatrix where you can just swoop in and save him. That damn Prime Directive could mean the end of my husband's livelihood, maybe even his life."

"No, it's not. And it's not going to be easy. But Captain Picard will not give up until Alec is back aboard the Enterprise."

"And a fine job he did too." said a voice behind them.

Rene spun to face the familiar voice and was across the room in her husband's arms so fast it was as if the window and the door to their quarters occupied the same time and space. "Alec!" exclaimed Rene, close to tears. "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing, actually. But that could change."

Fear once more took hold of Rene's heart. "You mean this isn't over?"

Alec shook his head morbidly. He knew it wasn't over, not by a long shot. He wished there was a way to tell Rene how sorry he was for making her go through this. But he knew she would willingly go through it with him until the end. That was the kind of woman she had always been, a fighter. Not in the literal sense, even though Alec had taught her a few things just in case, but rather in the sense that she would do whatever she had to in order to break down the obstacles in her path.

"If they harmed you in any way..."

"No... well, my wrists chafe a little bit from the shackles but other than that."

Troi stood from the sofa. "I'm glad to see that you're alright, Alec."

"Thanks, Deanna." Alec was still being held by Rene. She probably wouldn't let go for about an hour. "I'm quite surprised I was let go so early. You'd think Bru'Dan would want to hold me until their decision was made. He must want to come off as fair."

"Decision?" Rene looked up, meeting his eyes. He could see the dread in them. "What decision?"

"Their verdict. I must admit I'm a little curious what they're going to do. Vesuvia has no death penalty so I imagine whatever it is will be interesting."

Relief washed over Rene when she learned Alec would not be facing the death penalty. But a part of her worried even more for she was reminded of the old saying 'there are far worse things than death.' Hopefully this planet had not adopted that philosophy.

"Perhaps I should go." said Troi, making her way for the door. "I need to speak with Captain Picard."

"He's on the bridge." said Alec. "He wanted to give Starfleet an update."

"If either of you need me, let me know."

"Thanks, Deanna." said Rene, her head nuzzled against Alec's chest. Today, a day that should have been ripe with joy and celebration was instead full of death and mourning.

Not for an instant did she consider abandoning her husband's side. Not just because doing so would receive her a place in the ninth circle of hell, but rather because she knew he was innocent and because she knew he would never leave her were the situation reversed. "What happened down there, Alec?"

"I was set up. I know it with every fiber of my being."

The following day, Alec was met with lingering stares and murmurs during his walk to the turbolift. It didn't surprise him, he would have been more surprised if he garnered no attention at all. Normally a little attention didn't bother him, but it did in this instance. He couldn't help but wonder how many on the sip had labeled him a murderer. The optimist in him wanted to believe that everyone was on his side but he knew that was wishful thinking.

Sickbay was his current destination. There was a favor he needed from Dr. Crusher to help with his investigation. If he was right, he was sure it would be what would prove that the accident was orchestrated and that he was meant to fire on Sha'Gra. He personally had all the proof he needed but he wanted to silence the naysayers.

Crusher was in her office when he entered, a padd in her hand. He knocked on the glass divider. "Is the doctor in?"

Smiling and without even looking up from the padd she answered. "Sorry, no walk ins. Appointments only."

Alec laughed and entered her office. "I'm in a bit of trouble, Beverly."

She put down the padd and sat back into the chair. "So I've heard. You seem to be taking it rather well."

"That's because I know the only thing I'm really guilty of is being someone's scapegoat. I'm being framed, Beverly. And hopefully with a little help from you I'll be able to prove it to everyone else."

Hope drained from Crusher's face. "If you're wanting me to examine Sha'Gra's autopsy results I'm afraid they don't reveal anything unusual."

"Could they be fabricated?"

Crusher sat silently for a moment. "Possibly, but I've never seen such a perfect forgery."

The fact that such a document would be presented was of little surprise. Professionals like the ones at work would have learned to cover their tracks extremely well. But the autopsy report was not what he was interested in, although it would have been helpful. He just hoped that what he was after hadn't been disposed of yet. "I actually came here hoping you could do a chemical analysis for me."

"I'll do what I can. On what?"

"Commander Wilson to transporter room one."

"_Go ahead, sir."_ replied the on duty chief.

"I'm going to need control of the transporter system temporarily transferred to Dr. Crusher's office."

"_Understood, Commander. It'll just take a moment."_

"Thank you, Chief."

"What are you doing?"

"Don't rush me." He joked. He only had to wait a few more seconds until the transporter controls were available on Crusher's desk terminal. He immediately accessed the scanners. "I asked Captain Picard if President Sha'Gra ate or drank anything before entering the main hall and he told me she had a glass of water. I'm hoping it's still there. And it looks like we struck pay dirt." Alec engaged the transporter. A small glass materialized on Dr. Crusher's desk next to the computer terminal. He placed it in her hand. "This is my trump card, Beverly. I think something in the water she drank persuaded her to take that little stroll. And if you can prove it for me you'll be my personal hero."

Crusher looked at the glass curiously. "If there's anything in there. I'll find it." She left her chair and exited her office. "I'll be just a minute."

Alec took a seat in her vacated chair. The few minutes it would take Beverly to analyze the water would surely be some of the longest in his life. He knew he would never be fully exonerated, even if he had hallucinated a Jem'Hadar soldier, for it was he who pulled the proverbial trigger. But he would at least be able to prove that it had been arranged to happen. Even though the idea of being somebody's pawn gnawed at his pride he was more than willing to acknowledge it if it were to take his neck out of the noose.

A grim thought crossed his mind. What if his evidence wasn't accepted at all and he was found guilty of first degree murder? Vesuvia may not have the death penalty but it would still mean the end of his career and his life as he knew it. It would be different if his was the only life that was affected but he had his family and those around him on the ship he had to think about. He had already promised Rene that he would never leave her alone again. Certain measures would have to be taken to ensure those responsible would be brought to justice if Vesuvian security ignored all but the incriminating evidence.

Alec finished his task and returned Crusher's terminal to its previous display just seconds before she reentered her office. "Alec, I have the results of the analysis if you want to take a look at them."

"That was fast." said Alec, following her out of the office towards one of the lab areas. It was complete with a multitude of machines and computer terminals that he wasn't even going to try and guess the function of.

"It would have been faster but I ran the test twice just to be sure." Crusher activated the main wall monitor and displayed the results of the test. It showed a multitude of molecules.

Alec could discern two separate kinds of molecules, but he didn't know what they were. "Chemistry was never my favorite subject, Beverly."

Crusher pointed to one of the particles. "This is a water molecule. And this, is a sodium chloride molecule."

Even _he_ knew that one. "Salt? I'm confused."

"Vesuvians are severely allergic to salt, it shouldn't be present in the water unless someone put it there deliberately."

"Wouldn't she have tasted it?"

"Vesuvians can't detect salt by taste. They can generally only taste things of a sweeter variety."

_That explains why some of the food was so bland at the banquet._ "What kind of symptoms would she display?" Alec was mentally crossing his fingers, hoping he'd hear what he needed.

"Dizziness, a slight case of nausea, and dehydration. It's no wonder she needed to get fresh air."

"Do you think someone was trying to kill her?"

"No." said Crusher with conviction. "The amount present wasn't enough to be fatal."

Alec finally had some evidence that would work in his favor. He just hoped they didn't try to tie him to the conspiracy. "Were there any reports of salt poisoning in the autopsy report?"

Crusher managed a smug smile. "Not a trace. Which means-"

"Which means the autopsy report _was_ a fake." With this next piece of evidence, Alec's excitement began to escalate, as did his determination. "One step closer to cracking the conspiracy."

"_Captain Picard to all senior bridge officers, please report to the observation lounge."_

"Beverly, would you be so kind as to download all this to a padd?"

Crusher handed him one. "I thought you'd say that so I took the liberty before I brought you out here."

"Thanks, Beverly." said Alec, taking the padd "I owe you one."

"Just find out who did this."

"I plan on it."

Being the only one that wasn't on deck one at the time of Picard's announcement, Alec was the last to arrive in the observation lounge. He didn't like the look on his captain's face. It was not the look of a happy man. "Please sit down, Commander."

Alec took a seat next to Data, the android greeted him with a nod and eyed the padd, curious as to its purpose.

Nobody said a word for the first minute, they just looked at their captain, waiting for him to start the meeting. He was mulling over this thoughts. Picard hated being the bearer of bad news, and the coming minutes held just that for someone in the room. He finally gathered the courage. "Yesterday, a subspace transmission was sent from Vesuvia in all directions and on all frequencies. It's believed to be from the extremists that oppose Federation membership."

"What does the message say?" asked Riker. His gut feeling told him that Picard's initial silence was due to the content of the message in question.

Picard offered no reply, he simply activated the wall monitor. Displayed on the screen was a dark room, a table in the center. Seated at the desk was a figure, the face impossible to discern due to the lack of light. The identity of the person was evidently meant to be kept secret. When the figure finally spoke it was clear the voice had been altered. "By now, the vicious murder of our naive but illustrious president has reached all corners of the quadrant. This atrocity cannot be allowed to go unanswered. The one responsible for the horrendous crime is a Starfleet officer and a member of the hypocrisy known as the Federation." Alec's Starfleet dossier photo appeared in clear detail in the upper left corner of the monitor. "This man, Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson of the starship Enterprise, must pay for what he has done. Therefore as of this moment, a prize of 1,000,000 bars of gold pressed latinum will be given to the person who brings him to us. Alive is preferable, but we are aware that accidents do happen. Payment will be delivered in full when he is in our possession. Any treachery or attempts at deception will result in the same fate as our late president. More details will be given to you when we receive word he has been apprehended."

The screen went black. Nobody said a word, nobody even breathed. The air felt as cold as a polar wind. Glances were exchanged, but no words were spoken. This was the first time a price had ever been put on any of their heads before, they were unsure how to react or what to say.

Alec broke the tension. "I guess I can cancel my trip to Risa."

Nobody laughed. "I don't think this is the time for jokes, Alec." said Riker, raising his voice to Alec for the first time in nearly two years.

"This is a very serious matter." said Picard in agreement. He was not happy with the idea of someone putting a bounty on one of his officers. He almost took it personally.

"At this point," said Data. "I do not think it wise for Commander Wilson to return to the surface."

"I agree." said Riker. "They may be imminent members but that's a lot of latinum. I hate to say it but I'm sure there are some humans out there that wouldn't pass that up."

"Admiral Nechayev agrees." Picard leaned forward on the table, his hands folded together. "Starfleet has told me that whatever decision Vesuvian security reaches, we are not to turn Commander Wilson over to them. We've received word that two replies to the original transmission have already been intercepted."

"So two bounty hunters are already on their way." said Alec, not asking, but rather acknowledging the facts.

"It would appear so." said Picard. "In light of this, as well as possible Romulan involvement, Starfleet is sending two more starships to this system. They'll arrive within the next few days."

"What ships?" asked Riker. If the Romulans were involved, they reputations of the two vessels could have the effect of making them back off.

"One is the U.S.S. Falcon."

"Captain Anderson's ship." said Riker as he sat back and held his chin. "The second?"

"The U.S.S. Emissary." replied Picard with satisfaction.

The arrival of the Emissary would be a welcome event to all who had been on board for the past two years. After her crew's safe return from the Delta Quadrant, Captain Janeway was fiven command of the newly commissioned vessel. For her senior staff she chose those who had served her so well. It was a family that she did not feel ready to break up. Her reputation alone could help ward off any Romulans.

"I know a certain Talaxian that will be happy." said Riker with a grin.

"Indeed." said Picard blankly, he did not favour his next responsibility. He had one more piece of bad news to give to Alec, and to him it was the worse of the two. "Commander Wilson, Admiral Nechayev has informed me of Starfleet Command's decision. They believe that until this situation is resolved it is in the best interests of everyone that you be relieved of duty."

If Alec had not been sitting already he would have fallen back in surprise. "What?" Not once in his career had he ever been relieved of duty. Earlier he might not have been as defensive but certain evidence had come to his attention in the meantime that made him respond as such. "Captain, this is-"

"Commander, I have been over this with Admiral Nechayev, I even used every personal connection I had in Starfleet. This is not my decision."

Alec held up the padd he had brought with him from sickbay, it was his last hope. "Captain, Dr. Crusher and I have turned up evidence that this was a setup. There's a conspiracy going on down there."

"I will forward your findings to Starfleet, Commander. But until they reverse their decision I have no choice but to follow their orders." Picard wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

Alec was at a loss for words. It felt like one of those times from his childhood when he had to stomp around the house screaming 'it's not fair!' to get what he wanted. He probably would have done it now if he thought for even a moment that it would have worked.

He stood and placed the padd on the table. "Permission to speak freely, Captain."

Picard wasn't about to deny him the chance to speak. He deserved that much. "Permission granted."

Alec stood there, composing himself before he spoke. "I've given Starfleet everything I've had for almost 11 years, and when I need them to back me up the most they basically turn their back on me. I am very disappointed in those that I have served for so many years of my life, and a little betrayed." Alec raised his right hand to his chest and removed the combadge from his uniform, placing it on the table. It landed with a clatter that still echoed in the room as he left.

Rene was dressing for a walk in the arboretum when her husband came storming into their quarters. One look at him and she knew he was in as foul a mood as he had ever been. She knew the meeting to which the senior officers were called had to be the reason. She watched him, leaning on the back of a chair, wondering what could have set him off like that.

She approached him and put a loving hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and she looked inquisitively into his eyes. Alec put a hand on top of hers and sighed. "I was just relieved of duty."

Rene took a step back. "Why?"

"Starfleet's decision. Captain Picard was just following orders. I think that the situation on Vesuvia combined with..." Alec stopped himself. He wasn't sure how Rene would act when she found out there was a bounty on his head.

"Combined with what?" she asked. When he didn't answer her she stared at him as if he were in the hot seat at one of his own interrogations. "Alec, combined with what?"

_Damnit, only she can stare me down like that._ He reluctantly gave in. He felt it was better to tell her himself now before she found out some other way. "Before I was relieved, Captain Picard informed us that the extremists have put a bounty on me. Two have already accepted the job."

"And you're not worried about that?" She was understandably more upset about this than him being relieved of duty. This had a direct effect on both of them.

"No, I'm not. There's no safer place to be than on this ship. They wouldn't dare try anything unless they had a death wish."

"Alec," Rene lifted his chin with her thumb and index finger, so they were looking eye to eye once more. "Someone has put a price on your head. This is bigger than you being relieved."

Alec knew she would worry about the bounty more than him. It was only natural for a wife to be concerned about her husband. He just saw it differently than she did. She saw it as a danger to his life. He saw it as another day on the job. It was no different to him than being in the sights of Jem'Hadar attack ships day after day during the war. Being relieved of duty was an attack on his pride, which outside of the last couple of days he was not very used to.

"I want you to take this seriously." she said.

"Oh believe me, I am. I've never been a hunted man before so I imagine it's not fun. It's just that during the past day I've had more things that will wind up on my permanent record than ever before. If I had one thing to say to these bounty hunters it'd be 'come and get it' because they'll be in for one hell of a fight."

Despite their years of marriage and their further years growing up, Alec still managed to surprise Rene with his stubbornness. She didn't even try to talk sense into him because she knew there was no use. "I'm going for a walk in the arboretum, and I'd like you to go with me."

_I know she wants to help me feel better but I don't want help right now. I want to brood._ Alec removed his hands from the back of the chair then turned until he faced away from it and sat down. "I need to deal with this by myself for awhile. I might join you shortly." He gave a slight smile to put her at ease.

She sighed slightly and reluctantly decided to leave and let him cope. "Okay, but I want you there real soon."

"It'll be like you never left me here." said Alec, his smile widening. He watched her as she walked out of their quarters. _I don't know what I did to deserve you._ He had no intention of staying in their quarters, not when every second that went by gave the conspirators more time to get away and cover their tracks further. Walking into the bedroom he changed out of his uniform and into a pair of black trousers and a dark blue short sleeved shirt that was covered by a sweater of the same color.

After he finished changing he went to a storage case that lay on the floor in the closet. He knelt down and entered an access code into the panel on the lid. The lock unlatched with a click and opened the case. Inside, on its support struts, was Alec's katana. He hesitated in removing the weapon. The last time he used it was in avenging James shortly after his death. To look upon something that he hadn't seen in such a long time, something that was so closely tied to one of the most painful moments of his life, it shook him to the core and gave him goosebumps as he relived the day itself.

What he was about to go through went against everything his parents taught him and everything he had since learned from being a Starfleet officer. But he learned something else in his years, and it was as true as anything he learned from Starfleet or his parents: Sometimes diplomacy fails, requiring other courses of action to be taken. These courses were sometimes cruel and brutal but must be followed through to their resolution.

"Computer, activate program Wilson 1712."

"Program activated."

Alec left his quarters and embarked on a road he never thought he'd take. _Level two._


	7. Desertion

Chapter 7

Desertion

Lieutenant Edwards was just doing up his uniform tunic as he exited his quarters. His shift began five minutes and he did not intend to be late. Not long ago he was contacted by Captain Picard and informed that he would be temporarily in charge of ship's security until the situation on Vesuvia was resolved and Alec returned to duty. Edwards did not enjoy getting the job under such circumstances. When Alec first came on board and was given the chief of security position, Edwards was very resentful as he was next in line. But as time went on, Edwards grew to see Alec's skill and dedication to the position. He no longer held any ill will towards Alec, only the utmost respect. And there was also nobody he would prefer not to face in combat, whether it be ship to ship or man to man.

Edwards made his way to the nearest turbolift. He stood there awaiting his transit to the bridge. Shortly after his arrival he saw someone coming hurriedly around the corner of the corridor. It was Alec, he slowed his pace when he saw Edwards.

"Commander."

"Lieutenant."

Edwards had never seen such a definitive look of determination in someone's eyes. He saw the katana on Alec's back, it was something he wasn't sure he'd ever see again. "Where are you taking that old thing?"

"Holodeck." said Alec. "Now that I have some free time on my hands I figure it's a good idea to brush up on my skills and maybe vent a little frustration."

_I can't blame you. I'd probably do the same thing myself._ There was an awkward silence as the turbolift doors opened and they stepped on. Nothing was quite like the feeling of standing face to face with the man that took over your job. "Commander, I just want you to know I'm not after your job, I'm just keeping it warm for you."

"I know, John. I just hope it's still here for me.

Before Edwards could ask the meaning of Alec's strange remark, the turbolift came to a stop and he stepped off into the corridor towards the holodeck.

After Alec led Edwards to believe he was really going to the holodeck he found the nearest turbolift and proceeded to his real destination: The main shuttlebay. He had hoped to avoid contact with anyone in the corridor as they could throw a wrench into his plan. He was thankful he made use of his time with Crusher's office terminal before she walked in on him.

He stepped off the turbolift and walked the short distance to the shuttlebay. The large, airtight doors opened with a loud mechanical hum instead of the normal low hiss of standard ships doors. He looked around to make sure there was nobody present. Nobody was supposed to be on duty at the moment but sometimes officers use shuttles as their pet projects. Luckily for him he was the only one in the bay.

He made his way for the shuttlecraft which was one of his own pet projects over the past few years, the Travioli, a Delta-Class shuttle. She was originally based on the Delta Flyer, a custom made shuttlecraft designed by Lieutenant Tom Paris of the U.S.S. Voyager when she was still lost in the Delta Quadrant. When Voyager reestablished contact with the Alpha Quadrant, the plans were studied and a few alterations were made, mainly the removal of its Borg weapons in favor of more conventional ones, and the replacement of Lieutenant Paris' 'Captain Proton' instruments with standard touch screen panels.

Every ship in Starfleet soon had a Delta-Class shuttle on board along with its standard compliment of shuttles. Alec had been impressed with the craft's versatility and wanted to put his own personal stamp on it as he had the defense systems of the Enterprise. He managed to enhance the shield strength along with the range and strength of her phasers. There were two modifications he was particularly proud of. Along with the help of James, Data, and La Forge he had applied a plate of ablative armor to the hull of the Travioli. He also equipped her with a small supply of quantum torpedoes. He didn't want to ever go up against any Romulan Warbirds in her but he intended to show any adversary that chose to pick a fight that this little ship had teeth.

This would be the first time Alec had ever used the Travioli for such a purpose. He had hoped to have James with him for something like this, but at the same time he didn't want to drag anyone down with him. This was something that the had to do alone.

The act he put on for Edwards cost him time, he would have to hurry if he were to be off the ship before the modifications he made to the internal sensors wore off. He stepped up onto the hull of the Travioli and opened the port hatch. The size of the empty cockpit was still surprisingly spacious to him. The interior of the shuttle consisted of a small lab, a living area, and a small storage area containing pressure suits, spare equipment, phaser rifles and anything that might be necessary for a short term mission.

Alec walked towards the front of the cockpit and placed his katana on the tactical console on his right before going down the inclined walkway to the helm. Before he took off he wanted to do a full systems check.

Guilt tore at his conscience. He was already breaking his promise to Rene. When he saw her again, if he saw her again, she might not forgive him. There was a chance he was in over his head and would never track down those responsible. But he had to try. As foolish as it may seem to others, he would rather go out fighting than be put away for a crime that he had been manipulated into. Although he felt he was justified in his actions, his superiors would need convincing if he was ever going to resume his career, which looked shaky as it was. He did not want to come back empty handed.

The diagnostic was complete. All systems checked out. In a few minutes he would be on his way to see some old friends for help.

Edwards was not impressed with the tactical display. Two starships had warped into the system, one B'rel-Class Klingon Bird Of Prey, and one Nausicaan combat raider. He grit his teeth. They were here to vie for Alec's head. And that made them enemies even if they hadn't fired a single shot at the Enterprise. Part of him was tempted to take potshots at them, but his inner Starfleet officer stopped him from doing so.

Picard was curious about the ships themselves. To be used by bounty hunters he imagined they would have been refit and upgraded. "Tactical analysis on the two ships, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir. Just one moment." Edwards ran a quick sensor scan of the two ships. The Klingon ship was the more powerful in regards of weapons and shields. "The Bird of Prey is equipped with not just the twin mounted disruptor cannons but several disruptor emitters around her hull. She has about as much firepower as a Vor'Cha-Class attack cruiser, Captain."

"That's a hell of a lot of firepower for a ship that size." said Riker. A Vot'Cha-Class vessel was the Klingon's answer to a Galaxy-Class starship, which up until the Soveriegn-Class was the big gun of Starfleet.

Data was reading his own sensor results, although he instead ran a sweep on her propulsion systems. "Captain, based on these readings, I believe this Bird Of Prey has had significant upgrades to her engines."

"That's not surprising considering the defensive systems."

Riker leaned forward. "What kind of upgrades are we looking at, Mr. Data."

"Her impulse speed has been increased by 50. And according to the readings I am getting from her warp drive, I estimate her top speed to be in the vicinity of warp 9.9."

Riker's head snapped towards Picard. "That's faster than a Galaxy-Class starship."

Picard found it easy to reason that the Klingon bounty hunter was no amateur. To afford the kinds of upgrades the ship possessed required a bounty hunter in the top of his game. And there was still the Nausicaans. "Mr. Edwards, what about the other ship?"

Edwards was still thinking about the Bird Of Prey. Although it was no match for the Enterprise, any ship that went up against it without performing a detailed scan might be caught of guard enough to have some serious damage dealt to them. The Klingon ship might have been the more powerful ship but the Nausicaans had a wider array of upgrades. "Captain, the Nausicaan ship has a tritanium enforced hull. Regenerative shielding. Plas-"

Riker raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's Federation technology."

"Yes, sir. They must have scavenged their technology from the wrecks of the war."

McClary scowled. "Graverobbing vultures." she said under her breath.

Edwards continued. "I'm also detecting high concentrations of trilithium isotopes."

"Plasma torpedoes." grumbled Riker.

"Yes, Commander. Looks like they got their hands on some Romulan ships too. Wait a minute... Commander Data, sir. Can you verify these readings for me?"

Data waited momentarily while Edwards transferred his sensor information to the ops station. When it appeared in his screen he performed his analysis. "Sensor readings verified. There are chronitons present."

"They've got a cloaking device." said McClary. "Looks like Commander Wilson has the best of the best after him."

"It would appear so, Lieutenant." Picard turned to Troi, who looked puzzled. "Are you alright, Counselor?"

"It's not me, sir." said Troi. "It's Alec. What I'm sensing isn't typical of officers that have just been relieved of duty. Instead of sadness and regret, I'm sensing determination, hatred and... if I had to choose a word to describe it, I'd say wrath." Her eyes focused in a moment of crystal clarity. "I think he's up to something, Captain."

"I should have known he wouldn't leave this along." said Riker. "In fact, I wouldn't expect anything less. Bridge to Commander Wilson." Nobody answered him. "Commander Wilson, please respond." Again Riker was met by silence. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Commander Wilson."

"_Commander Wilson is in his quarters."_

Edwards' head snapped up from his console. "I ran into him in the corridor. We shared a turbolift. He was on his way to holodeck 2."

"Bridge to holodeck 2. This is Captain Picard."

"_Holodeck 2 here, Captain."_ A female voice answered, a touch of anxiety inflected her tone.

"Is Commander Wilson there with you on the holodeck?"

"_No, sir."_ Confusion replaced the anxiety.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Riker.

"It appears you were correct, Counselor." said Picard. "Lieutenant Edwards, take a security team. Go to his quarters."

Alec was still a little behind schedule but he was making good time. As long as he was on board the ship and remained undetected by the internal sensors he could work unhindered. But as soon as the Travioli left the shuttlebay he would be vulnerable. He had managed to deactivate the Enterprise tractor beam and was currently working on a way to cover his escape to warp. _Maybe I should have taken the offer to join Section 31, this is kinda fun._

In a few minutes he'd be ready to leave. He'd be leaving behind his wife, his friends, and his career. He just hoped it was worth it.

"_Edwards to bridge."_

"Go ahead, Lieutenant." said Picard.

"_Commander Wilson isn't here, sir."_

"Acknowledged, Lieutenant. Picard out." He had no intention of letting one of his officers do anything foolish or dangerous. "Picard to all hands. If anyone spots Lieutenant Commander Wilson, contact security immediately. He has been relieved of duty and is acting on his own initiative. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to apprehend him yourself. Picard out." He had an idea, he was hoping that his shipwide announcement would cause Alec to do something that would reveal his position. It was a long shot as Alec was not one that often made mistakes. "Suggestions on where to start looking."

"He won't be beaming down to Vesuvia." said Riker. "Even Alec wouldn't be that reckless. It's a death trap for him down there." The answer hit Riker like a ton of bricks. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner. "The main shuttlebay!"

"The Travioli." said Picard, catching on.

"He just finished work on it last week. It makes sense that he would want to take it and track down whoever he thinks did this."

"Picard to Edwards, proceed to main shuttlebay."

Riker exhaled loudly. "Let's just hope we can stop him before he does something foolish."

_They're on to me._ Alec would have to leave before he finished working on his distraction. _I can finish it on the fly. It's almost done._ There was one more thing he would have to do before taking off. He'd have to disembark the and climb the ladder up to the control room to open the shuttlebay doors. He stuck his head out the side hatch to check the bay for any unwanted visitors. When he was satisfied there were none he stepped down from the craft and headed for the ladder. Upon reaching the top, he turned to his left and crossed the threshold of the control room.

Much to his surprise there was someone in the control room waiting for him. Someone who had not been in there before but had arrived in the last few minutes via the secondary turbolift along the rear wall. He knew this person had not been there the whole time because he had seen him on his way to the bridge a short while ago. Edwards was standing by the control console, a phaser in his hand. Alec thought it was rather smart of him actually. Edwards knew that Alec would have to go in there to open the doors so he cut him off at the pass. He'd have to make a point not to underestimate Edwards again.

"Commander."

"Lieutenant." Alec sized up his apparent opponent. He did not want to fight Edwards but he would if he had to. He kept his eyes on the phaser in Edwards' hand. "Captain Picard send you to stop me?"

Edwards nodded. "Nice job with the internal sensors. You threw us off."

"I would have been out of here by now if I hadn't bumped into you at the turbolift."

"Maybe fate wanted us to cross paths again so we could do this."

Alec took a small step forward, glancing down at Edwards' phaser before meeting his eyes again. "I don't believe in fate."

Edwards stepped forward as well, his hand never moved. "Neither do I. I just wanted something poignant to say and that was the best I could come up with."

A smile made its way across Alec's face as he took another step. He gestured with his head towards Edwards' phaser. "You planning on using that?"

Edwards raised his hand and glanced down at the weapon. He and Alec were only about a foot apart. "Not really. I just wanted to make it look like I actually intended on stopping you."

"Pretty sly."

"I like to cover my bases whenever possible. We're rooting for you, Alec. Might not say it out loud, but we are. Find these bastards."

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"Just don't bruise my face too much. I have a date tonight."

Alec clenched his fist. "I'll do my best." His fist connected with Edwards' jaw and he was on the floor, unconscious before he was down. A trickle of blood dripped out of his mouth. "Sorry, John. Had to make it look good."

He had only one thing left to do to get off the ship, open the shuttlebay door. The control panel on his left would give him access to the system. He was just accessing the controls when the panel went black.

"_Captain Picard to Commander Wilson. We have locked out the controls to the shuttlebay. Turn yourself in."_

For a split second, and only a split second, did he consider adhering to Captain Picard's warning. He had an idea, and if all went well, he wouldn't have to force his way out, they'd simply let him go. They had denied him access to the bay doors, but they had understandably left the other screens active. There was only one thing he had his mind on, the fire suppression system. After accessing another system, he exited the control room and sealed the door. Moving quickly back to the ladder he slid down the handles to the bay.

The shuttlecraft Kirk was the nearest to him. Alongside it was a storage cabinet. He grabbed a fuel transfer hose and a small container used for spare deuterium. He connected one end to the shuttle's fuel port and the other to the container. He would only transfer a small quantity because he didn't want the explosion to be too big. Once he thought there was an appropriate amount he shut off the transfer. After he moved the container away from the shuttle he climbed back to the side hatch of the Travioli. Underneath the tactical console was a small compartment that held a type II phaser. He changed the setting from level 1 to level 6, took aim and fired. The loudness of the explosion had been expected, but he had underestimated the shockwave. It threw him backwards onto the floor. He quickly brushed it off and got to his feet, closing the hatch before hurrying to the helm.

"Captain," said Riker, temporarily manning the tactical station. "There's a fire in the main shuttlebay."

"What kind of fire?" asked Picard, annoyance gathered with each word.

"Deuterium. Alec must have used fuel from one of the shuttles."

"Why would he do that?" asked McClary. Her appetite for excitement was being satiated.

Data had the answer. "Captain, the fire suppression system in the main shuttlebay is not functioning. It cannot be extinguished."

"Oh yes it can." grumbled Picard. He had not anticipated this course of action from Alec. First he deactivates the fire suppression system. Then he starts a fire, leaving them only way to prevent its spread. To put out the fire they'd have to open the shuttlebay doors, completely venting the atmosphere in one swift stroke.

"I always wondered what it would be like if it was ever us against him." said Riker.

"Open the door, Mr. Data." said Picard. There was no tone of amusement in his voice. He was angry, and he made no effort to hide it. "Number One, when he's clear, bring him in with a tractor beam."

The door began to go up. Alec laughed to himself as he powered up the engines and the shuttle hovered above the floor, held there by the thrusters. Normally, thrusters were used to pilot a shuttle out of the bay and away from the ship at which point the impulse engines were used. But this was not a normal situation. He held his hand steady over the engine controls. He intended to fly the shuttle out of the bay at full impulse. It was something he had never tried before but he needed every second he could get and hopefully the maneuver would catch them off guard.

The door had fully raised and the blue glow that lined the archway went dark, meaning the forcefield was off. Acting on reflex, before he even knew he had done it, the Travioli was out of the shuttlebay and flying out into space.

"On screen." said Picard. The Travioli appeared on the viewscreen. In between the warp nacelles, the ship was speeding away at high impulse. "Number One."

Riker, still at tactical, accessed the tractor beam system. But as he should have expected, it was not functioning. When he thought about it, he would have been more surprised if Alec hadn't deactivated it. "Tractor beam is off-line, Captain."

Picard sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Suggestions."

"Catch up to him and take out his engines." said Riker. "Phasers are still online. He must not have had time."

"Lieutenant, bring us about. Transfer auxiliary power to the impulse engines. I want to catch him before he goes to warp. Number One, target his impulse engines. But first, open a channel. Let's see if we can stop this."

"Channel open, sir."

It was Picard's hope that Alec had grown less stubborn since his experience with the Borg, but he wasn't counting on it. "Enterprise to Commander Wilson. Power down your engines."

Nobody expected him to respond, and they were surprised when he did. _"I'm sorry, Captain. I can't do that."_

"Damnit, Alec!" said Riker. "Don't throw away your career like this."

"_Sorry, Will. My job comes before my career."_

"Commander-"

"It's no use, Captain. He cut off communications."

Picard's gut was starting to wrench. He did not want it to come to this. "Time to intercept?"

"Forty-five seconds, sir."

Picard accepted what he had to do, but he did not like it. The order must be given. "Number One, open fire as soon as we're in weapons range."

Riker reluctantly acknowledged. Keeping his eyes on the tactical sensors he noticed two more ships enter the vicinity of the Enterprise and the Travioli. One bad situation had been traded for another. "Captain, those bounty hunters must have been monitoring our communications, because they're on an intercept course with Alec."

His workspace in the torpedo room was cramped, but Alec was determined to finish work on the diversion which would allow him to warp out of the system without anyone tracking him. It only required a few more touches before it was done. If he had not run into Edwards in the corridor he probably wouldn't have had to do it on the run like he currently was.

As strange as it seemed, he drew a sense of excitement and satisfaction from getting as far as he had. Taking pride in one's abilities and accomplishment's was so very human.

"_Enterprise will be in weapon's range in thirty seconds."_

"Computer, red alert. Begin evasive maneuvers as soon as they lock on." As soon as the computer beeped in acknowledgment. Alec was thrown off his feet by a weapons hit. The Enterprise was too far away to open fire, so it must have been one of the other two ships he detected. "Computer, what was the source of that weapons fire?"

"_A B'rel-Class Bird of Prey."_

_Those two ships must be the bounty hunters._ He did not expect to deal with them so soon. The last thing he needed was someone else getting in his way. "What about the other ship?"

"_The Nausicaan combat raider is closing. Estimated time to weapons range: twenty seconds."_

"And the Enterprise?"

"_Ten seconds."_

He put the finishing touches on his project and left the torpedo room for the cockpit. He placed his hands on the walls a few times to maintain his balance under the weapons fire. It was still just the Bird Of Prey that was attacking him otherwise the gyrations would have been greater. Once he was in the cockpit he headed straight for the helm. "Computer, shield status."

"_Shields are at 68"_

"You guys are hurting my girl. I can't have that."

The Bird Of Prey was dead center in the viewport and getting closer by the second. Green disruptor blasts continued to be absorbed by the shields. He'd much prefer to be sitting at the tactical station but he'd rather not turn pilot control over to the computer. His options were limited. He was practically surrounded by people that wanted to get their hands on him, and two of them had less than friendly intentions. His next move was clear. Immediately he brought the ship about and headed for the Enterprise which was directly aft of the Travioli. Alec would bet his life that the Enterprise would not open fire. They would not risk disabling him and leaving him vulnerable, allowing the bounty hunters to swoop in.

The view of the Enterprise from a head on angle took his breath away. With her sleek, contoured design, the Soveriegn-Class starship was a sight to behold. At almost seven hundred meters - which made her the longest ship in service - her size alone was intimidating. When it came to a Starfleet ship, size usually came hand in hand with power, as did the name Enterprise, and the current incarnation was no exception. Her elliptical saucer section - or primary hull - housed nine of the ship's type XII phaser banks, and her main torpedo launcher was centered in the ventral section of the saucer, directly opposite the bridge.

As he passed under the ship he glanced at the drive section of the colossal interstellar craft. Directly at the base of the drive section - or secondary hull - underneath the circular main deflector dish were two more torpedo launchers. Opposite those two directly aft and underneath the second shuttlebay were two more launcher, and in between was a ventral phaser bank. The sixth launcher was centered in the dorsal section of the secondary hull.

The ship's massive warp nacelles sat atop rear projected diagonally angled pylons with a phaser bank on the outer side of each pylon. The nacelles glowed blue from back to front and glowed red at the front where the Bussard ramscoops collected interstellar dust particles to refuel the deuterium tanks, which powered the twin impulse engines in the aft section of the saucer.

His other assumption also proved correct, that the Klingons would not be stupid enough to open fire on the Enterprise. He did not expect them to cloak however. The only ships left on his sensors were the Enterprise and the Nausicaan raider.

"I'm tired of being shot at. Computer, load the modified torpedo in the aft bay. Let's see how you all like this."

They had been watching everything on the viewscreen. The Bird Of Prey had been unleashing steady weapons fire on the comparatively small shuttle and not taken a single return hit. One suggestion was that Alec was hurt and unable to respond but that was disproven when the shuttle came about and flew right at them. At first they thought that maybe he decided to turn himself in, but they then realized he was just using them for cover. The Bird Of Prey cloaked as soon as the Enterprise locked weapons.

"Ensign, reestablish pursuit. Number One, if that Nausicaan ship so much as powers it's weapons I want you to open fire."

"Aye, sir."

The Travioli was centered in the viewscreen and grew larger as the Enterprise closed the gap. The Nausicaan ship was just to port, she had not opened fire. Riker did not want to open fire on his friend but he was being left little choice. He sympathized with Alec, he would probably do the same thing, but he couldn't let his friend pursue such a reckless venture.

They were about to enter weapons range when his tactical sensors registered a torpedo launch from the Travioli. Shocked, Riker looked up at the viewscreen. The torpedo was acting very strangely. It was not red like a photon, nor cyan like a quantum, but almost bright yellow. It's behaviour got even stranger when it moved slower, and slower, until it just seemed to hang there in space.

And in the next unexpected moment, the small, almost sunlike point of light expanded in all directions like a star gone supernova. The extreme brightness not only caused everyone to cover their eyes in response, but it also shorted out the viewscreen, reducing the clear image of space outside to a jumbled, grey static distortion.

"What was that?" asked McClary, still seeing spots.

"All stop." said Picard, his eyes still closed. "Damage report."

"The ship has suffered no damage." said Data. "It appears to have been a polyluminous burst, also commonly known as a 'warp flare.' However I have never seen one used to that effect." He checked his sensors, they were not functioning. "Captain, I ascertain it was designed to temporarily disable our sensors. I cannot get any readings at this moment."

"Tactical sensors are off-line too." said Riker.

"I shall have to have a word with Commander Wilson the next time I see him."

"Captain," said Data. "Sensors are slowly coming back online. I am getting some readings. The Klingon Bird Of Prey is directly above us. It appears the burst overloaded their cloaking device. The Nausicaan ship is still to port. I cannot locate the Travioli, sir."

"That's what the warp flare was for." said Riker. "He wanted to disable our sensors so we couldn't track him when he went to warp."

"That is the most likely assumption, Commander." said Data.

"He could be going anywhere." said a bewildered McClary. She lowered the ship on its y-axis, just in case the Klingons didn't have their sensors back online yet.

"Captain," said Edwards. "Before sensors went offline, they detected something that I can't explain."

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

"There were two lifesigns on board the Travioli."

The stars were flying by. Alec checked the sensors to confirm that he was not being followed. He had not expected there to be ships other than the Enterprise present when he used his decoy. It was fortunate his polyluminous burst had the same effect on them as it did the Enterprise.

He was really in it now, past the point of no return. Everything that he did from this point on must be done without error or the only thing he could look forward to seeing for the next few years was the inside of a holding cell. Penal colonies were not exactly fun filled institutions, that was something he learned from Lieutenant Tom Paris.

Alec leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. It had been a very long day. He needed rest if he was going to approach this with a sharp mind. He reduced the light in the cockpit, and spoke to his friends on the Enterprise, even though they couldn't hear him. "Please tell Rene, that I'm sorry."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" asked a familiar voice behind him.

_Oh, hell._


	8. Reunion

Chapter 8

Reunion

If Alec were to sprout wings and start flying around the cockpit of the Travioli he still wouldn't have been more surprised than he was at that moment. Standing in the doorway to the rear compartment, when she was supposed to be in the arboretum back on the Enterprise, was Rene. Her eyes reflected anger, but her face reflected bemused satisfaction. A stowaway was not part of his plan.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"How'd you get on board?" He stammered, only half coherent. He was stalling, trying to compose himself.

"I don't think that's the most interesting question on the table, do you?" She stepped away from the archway, allowing the proximity sensor to close the door. She was shrouded in darkness, but her footsteps could still be heard as she neared the consoles. The light from the panels illuminated her face. She no longer displayed any sign of what Alec interpreted as satisfaction, but full on anger. This was a side of her he had only seen a few times before and had hoped to never see again. He was tempted to put up a forcefield. "Alec, I know you better than you know yourself. I knew you wouldn't leave this be. That's how I knew to go right for the Travioli after I left our quarters."

"I'm turning us around and taking you back to the Enterprise."

"No, you're not!" Her voice was so stern it would have traveled to a nearby ship, even in the vacuum of space. "You are not leaving me alone. Besides, if you go back you'll have the Enterprise and the bounty hunters to face again. And you might not be able to get away this time."

Rene was right on both counts. She did know him better than he knew himself, but such was the case with married couples. And she was right about heading back. If he turned the ship around there was a good chance he'd be overtaken by his shipmates. He didn't have a warp flare to cover his escape if he did, nor did he believe they'd fall for it again. The only thing he could do was continue on course. "It will most likely be dangerous."

"I don't care." she said. Her voice started to tremble. He saw her eyes begin to shimmer in the light of the consoles.

Alec raised the light level just to be sure. It was then he could see the tears in her eyes. The last thing he wanted was for her to cry. He knew her to be as strong as he was, maybe even stronger. It took a lot to make her cry. He stood up and walked up the ramp. He reached out to console her but she turned away. "Rene, I'm sorry."

In a motion so fast that she wouldn't have been sure she had done it if not for the pain in her hand, she turned and struck him across the cheek with an open palm. "You promised me! Damn you, Alec, you promised me!" Rene knew that she had hurt him, even though he didn't show it. She no longer contained her tears. With her vision blurred, she fell into Alec's arms. "If you ever, ever leave me again, I swear..." Her voice trailed off.

"It wasn't an easy decision for me to make." said Alec, his voice had a tremble of its own.

"It was a decision you shouldn't have made on your own!" While she believed that, she also understood why Alec did what he did. He wanted to protect her by not getting her involved. But the only times she ever felt truly safe were when she was with him. "Where are we going anyway?"

"To visit some old friends. We're going to Deep Space Nine."

Captain Picard turned off his monitor. Admiral Nechayev took the news of Alec's rebellious behavior better than he thought she would. He was more concerned with how the Vesuvian government was going to react and the possible ramifications. He wondered how many more bounty hunters would go after him now that he was no longer aboard the most powerful starship in two quadrants. Alec couldn't stay undetected forever and it was only a matter of time before they tracked him down.

Picard sat at his desk for a few minutes going over the events of the past day in his hand. He wouldn't be surprised of Vesuvia requested another ship to represent the Federation, or if they chose to cancel their joining altogether.

Finally he left his ready room. Passing the tactical station he saw Lieutenant Edwards manning it, he had some bruising around his jaw. Edwards noticed his captain's gaze. "A souvenir from Commander Wilson, sir."

"Wouldn't you like to go to sickbay, Lieutenant?"

Edwards shook his head, wincing at the sudden pain. "No, sir. I'll let it serve as a reminder not to let my guard down."

Picard continued on to his command chair. His first officer was in wait. "What did the Admiral have to say?"

"She said to stay in orbit and wait for further orders."

Captain Benjamin Sisko sat wearily behind his desk. He had been watching the live transmission of the Vesuvia signing ceremony and had been shocked along with the rest of the Federation to learn of President Sha'Gra's death at the hands of a Starfleet officer. What made it more shocking was that the officer held responsible was one of those that had retrieved him from the Prophets' domain. Finally, the icing on the cake as it were, was the bounty announcement made by the extremists. In the two years since he had been back, this was the darkest day the Federation had faced.

He reached across the desk and picked up his baseball. Throwing it from hand to hand was something he did whenever he was distraught and needed to gather his thoughts. Normally it worked, but not this time. He owed a debt to Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson, and the rest of those on board the Enterprise, and it was frustrating to see him in that kind of trouble.

It had been two years since the crews of Deep Space Nine and the Enterprise worked together and retrieved him from the Prophet's domain. The effort of the Enterprise in the wormhole was believed to have led to the ship's supposed destruction -a although because of the lack of any wreckage she was simply declared missing - until she was detected moving towards the Alpha Quadrant at transwarp speeds two months later. Learning that the ship had not been destroyed was a huge weight off of Sisko's conscience but he still bore a sense of responsibility upon learning they had spent two months in transit back home.

The first two weeks back in the realm of linear time was spent back at Starfleet Headquarters being debriefed, then he spent a few days at Starfleet Medical under the watchful eye of Dr. Katherine Pulaski to ensure there were no lasting effects of his time spent with the Prophets. When he was given a clean bill of health he was returned to the station.

During the time between his return and the return of the Enterprise he spent a good portion of his time getting to know Rene Wilson, wife of Alec Wilson, chief of security aboard the Enterprise. She had been left behind along with the rest of any non essential personel before the Enterprise entered the wormhole. She was a delightful woman who got along perfectly with his wife, Kasidy, and his song, Jake. When Rene made it clear that she wasn't going back to Earth, despite numerous pleas from her parents, they invited her to stay with them in their quarters while she was pregnant.

Sisko didn't remember much about his time spent with the Prophets. The only moments he did recall were brief instances of absolute crystal clarity that made the mysteries of the universe seem as clear as the window of his office. There were times where he longed for such understanding once more, but he was unwilling to trade what he had.

He not only had his wife and oldest son, but he also had his two-year old son, Joseph, to live his life with. Benjamin and Kasidy decided to name their child Joseph in honor of Benjamin's father, who had passed away not long before his birth.

Sisko's biggest disappointment upon his return came when he found the Romulans had broken off relations. He thought they had made such progress in securing peace in the final months of the war. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if they discovered they had been lured onto the Federation's side of the war under false pretenses which he himself had a hand in. But he was leaning towards the idea that they had planned it all along. No doubt they would have revealed they were aware of the subterfuge.

His muddling was interrupted by a voice coming over the comline. _"Kira to Sisko."_

"Go ahead, Colonel."

"_Captain, we have an unscheduled ship heading towards the station at high warp."_

"What kind of ship?"

"_A Starfleet shuttle."_

"I'll be right there." Sisko placed the baseball back on its pedestal. The doors to his office opened and he stepped into the control center of Deep Space Nine. Formerly a Cardassian mining station called Terok Nor, DS9 was commandeered by the Bajorans at the end of the Occupation and was now a major outpost in the sector. Located at the mouth of the wormhole, a spacial tunnel that connected the Alpha Quadrant to the Gamma Quadrant, the station often saw more than its fair share of interesting people and events.

DS9 was an outpost of major importance during the war. Being at the mouth of the wormhole put it at the forefront of any Dominion attack. The Federation even had to abandon it during an incident with a superior Dominion force. It was not long after the Cardassian Union joined the dreaded totalitarian society from the Gamma Quadrant.

Colonel Kira Nerys noticed her commanding officer standing at the top of the stairs that led down to the central console. Being the Bajoran liaison officer to Deep Space Nine, she had originally been opposed to having a Starfleet presence on the station. She felt her people could more than adequately handle things on their own, but on more than one occasion she found they were fortunate to have Starfleet around. "Captain, the incoming shuttle is moving at warp 9.2."

"Warp 9.2.? Starfleet shuttles don't go faster than warp 8.5. Dax, are you sure it's one of ours?"

Lieutenant Ezri Dax looked up from her science console. "I'm positive, Benjamin. Delta-Class." said the Trill.

"Top of the line." said Sisko. He never doubted the assessment of a Trill host that carried the Dax symbiont. She had not just the scientific experiences of the previous host, Jadzia, but that of seven other hosts over the past three hundred years, including that of Curzon, who had been Sisko's best friend and mentor. She was invaluable.

"The shuttle is coming out of warp." said Kira.

"On screen."

As if his second in command had anticipated his order, the viewscreen activated before he finished his sentence. In the center of the image was an infinite star field. Appearing out of nowhere among the stars was a flash of bright light. Emerging from that flash of light was a small spacecraft. The sight of a ship coming out of warp was a unique one. In the few seconds it took to slow to sublight speed, the ship seemed to leave an after image of itself in the fabric of space. The after images were only visible for a split second, but it was intriguing to behold.

"Any sign of the mothership?"

"No other ships in the vicinity." said Dax.

"What is the mothership?" asked Lieutenant Nog.

During the early stages of his career, his being a Ferengi would have raised questions of his competence where he stationed anywhere other than DS9. However, his friends and fellow officers knew what he was capable of and therefore listened to what he had to say. He had come a long way since his younger days as a troublemaking thief. But thanks to Jake Sisko, he developed a greater sense of morality, eventually changing his ways. Jake had even taught him to read. He manned the operations station, which was vacated by Chief Miles O'Brien, who left DS9 at the end of the war to go teach at Starfleet Academy.

"Good question, Lieutenant." said Sisko. He walked down the short staircase to the lower level of ops. "Colonel?"

"Checking." Kira accessed the station's database so she could identify the approaching shuttle. "The shuttle is the Travioli." She did not expect the next piece of information. "She's assigned to the Enterprise."

"But the Enterprise is still at Vesuvia. What would one of her shuttles be doing here?"

"You're going to get your answer, Nog. The Travioli is hailing us, Captain." Kira paused for a moment, her face puzzled. "On a secure channel."

"On screen, Colonel." The interior of a shuttle cockpit appeared. Sisko immediately took notice of a woman standing behind the pilot. He had gotten to know her rather well in the two months she was on the station, a tiny smile was spread across her face. And seated at the helm was the man she knew to be her husband. No smile was on his face. "Commander Wilson, it's been a long time."

"Indeed, Captain. It's good to see you again."

"May I ask what the purpose of your visit is on Deep Space Nine?"

"I'd like to discuss that in person if I may, sir. May I have access to one of your runabout pads? It's important that we get the Travioli out of sight as soon as possible."

After the Travioli landed on one of the vacant runabout pads and lowered out of site in the interior of the docking ring, Alec and Rene were led to Captain Sisko's office. Brief hellos were exchanged with their friends in ops, urgency forced them to leave pleasantries until later.

Alec brought Sisko up to date with everything that had happened. Word of his theft of the Travioli had not reached the rest of the quadrant. The most likely theory was that Starfleet was trying to contain the news so that more bounty hunters didn't come looking for him. It was a little comforting to know that Starfleet hadn't completely abandoned him even after he had gone renegade. _They owe me._

Sisko at first had been skeptical about the idea if a conspiracy but once Alec showed him all the evidence his doubts were put to rest. Alec's account of the cave, the false autopsy report, the salt present in Sha'Gra's water, all pointed to someone with an agenda. Sisko considered this not just an attack on a friend, but on Starfleet. "So, Commander. What is it you plan to do?"

"Quite simple, actually. Track down those who did it, clear my name, and make them understand that this was the biggest mistake they'll ever make."

"And you came here to ask for help. You realize I could get in hot water just having you here and not reporting it?"

Alec's hopes dimmed. He knew Sisko to be a loyal Starfleet officer, one who didn't stick his neck out for just anyone. "I know what I'm asking, sir. And if you wish, you can just give the word and we'll go. You don't owe me a thing."

Sisko's tone was deep and commanding, it could have herded Klingons. "Oh you're wrong, Commander. I, my wife, and my sons are in your debt. And I always repay debts."

Alec breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Captain."

"How can we help?"

"If it's possible, I need to have my shuttle disguised somehow. A Delta-Class shuttle won't go unnoticed for very long. And I know there are some bounty hunters out there with more powerful ships than the Travioli that would love to get their hands on me."

To Sisko it seemed like an easy enough task. He had some of the most resourceful officers in Starfleet at his disposal. If there was any place Alec could go to have his request met, it was Deep Space Nine. "I'll get my people right on it."

Alec stood and extended his hand to the man who he was garnering more and more respect for. "I can't thank you enough, sir."

Sisko took his hand. "You can start by telling me about the time you destroyed that Jem'Hadar Battleship."

"You've got yourself a deal."

After they had left Captain Sisko's office, Alec and Rene made their way for the guest quarters assigned to them by Colonel Kira. After two days in a relatively cramped shuttle they welcomed the space. Rene was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. But Alec lay awake, his mind unable to shut down. His main thought was of how far he would eventually take his need to find those he was after. He had already stolen a shuttlecraft, and abandoned his wife. Although Rene had stowed away, he had not been aware of that at the time of his desertion, therefore he still felt as guilty as he would if she didn't.

There was only one place he could think of to begin his search: The underground caverns on Vesuvia. There was a chance, albeit a small one, that there was a clue somewhere down in the caves. Undoubtedly the perpetrators had covered their tracks, but Alec was hoping they had missed something.

Finally, fatigue began to make his eyelids grow heavy. He chose not to fight it, he did not know what was coming in the next few days, but he was fairly sure he was going to need as much rest as he could get to handle it.

Sisko sat in the wardroom with the rest of his senior staff. Two officers were present not that weren't in ops when Alec and Rene had arrived on the station. Lieutenant Commander Eric Jones was chief of security and an old rival of Alec's. He wasn't too popular among many on the station, except Quark. Dr. Julian Bashir was also seated at the table. He on the other hand was very popular on DS9. His genetically engineered background, which gave him a high I.Q. and improved hand-eye coordination, made him an excellent physician. He was also the live in lover of Lieutenant Ezri Dax, who was seated next to him.

Jones made his opinion clear very early. "Captain, how can you even think of helping him?"

If Sisko had to choose between having dinner with Gul Dukat and Jones, he'd choose Dukat ten times out of ten. Over the past two years they had clashed on more than one occasion. "Because, Commander, he's a fellow officer and he's in trouble. The last time I checked we helped those that were in need of it."

"Even if he has been framed, which I admit some of what he's said suggests, he's also stolen a shuttle, caused an explosion on the Enterprise, and assaulted an officer. We should report him to Starfleet before he does anything else."

"You will do _no_ such thing, Commander." Sisko's gaze widened and his features hardened. "There is to be no contact with Starfleet about this. Do, and I'll slap you down so hard you'll wish you were back at the Academy. And if you think I'm bluffing, mister, just try me because _nothing_ would make me happier." The emphasis grew stronger with each word. He continued the staring match with Jones, who was silent. "Am I under_stood_, Commander?"

Jones could feel his face getting warm. Before Sisko came back he wasn't used to being talked down to. "Perfectly, sir."

"Good." Sisko noticed the relieved and amused looks on the other's faces. He knew they were tired of Jones' attitude and he couldn't blame them, he was a little tired of it as well. It was rare that he or Kira had to deal with it as Jones didn't give any sass to his superiors, and it didn't help that being a lieutenant commander meant that they were the only ones that outranked him. "Now, any suggestions on how we can help Commander Wilson disguise the Travioli?"

"If we still had the old Defiant I'd say remove the cloaking device and install it on the Travioli." said Kira.

"Why don't we just contact the Romulans and ask them for another one?" asked Bashir, attempting to remove some of the tension that still lingered from Sisko and Jones' exchange.

When the Dominion threat was first discovered, Captain Sisko, who was then still a commander, brought the prototype vessel U.S.S. Defiant to Deep Space Nine. Installed on her was a cloaking device that was on load from the Romulan Empire. They were allowed its use on two conditions: It was only to be used in the Gamma Quadrant, and they had to provide the Romulans with all information they gathered about the Dominion. Near the end of the war, the Defiant was destroyed in a devastating battle, and the cloaking device along with it. Shortly after, Starfleet assigned another Defiant-Class ship to DS9, the U.S.S. Sao Paulo. They were given special dispensation to rename the vessel 'Defiant.'

"I don't think they'll be as accommodating this time, Julian." said Dax.

"Well we won't know until we try, will we?"

"We're not contacting the Romulans, Doctor." Sisko knew Bashir was joking, but he just wanted it clear that now was not the time for jokes. He looked at Nog, who had thus far been quiet. The young Ferengi looked like he was thinking about something. "What about you, Mr. Nog? Anything to add?"

"Sir, I might have an idea, sir. It's actually a fairly old idea."

"Well let's hear it, Lieutenant." said Sisko supportively.

"It was the mention of the Romulans that got me thinking of it. Two hundred and thirty years ago, Earth's first warp 5 starship came across-"

"You mean the NX-01?" asked Sisko. He had an interest in Starfleet's beginnings that matched Nog's. "The first Enterprise?"

"Yes, sir, the same. Anyway, as I was saying. They came across a Romulan marauder that was attacking ships in Andorian space. It used holographic projections to disguise itself as a friendly ship to lure others in and attack them."

"Are you suggesting we try something like that with the Travioli?" asked Bashir. "What would we use?"

"I'm sure Uncle Quark will let us borrow some holographic projectors from one of his holosuites."

"Do you really think you can convince Quark to shutdown one of his precious holosuites?" said a disbelieving Kira. Her opinion of the Ferengi bartender, which had garnered much respect over the past few years, still saw him as a typical, greedy businessman.

"Don't worry about that, Colonel. I'm pretty sure I can talk him into it." said Nog, he made it clear he had something up his sleeve.

"Are you sure you can do this, Mr. Nog?" said Sisko. "If I remember correctly, the power signature of the marauder gave it away."

"That shouldn't be a problem, sir. Technology is a lot more advanced now than it was two hundred and thirty years ago."

"Well, unless someone has a better idea." Sisko noticed Jones staring off into space. He couldn't resist taking a jab at him. "Do you have any suggestions, Lieutenant?"

"None, sir." said Jones through clenched teeth.

"Speaking of Quark," said Sisko. "We're going to need some gossip control. I have no doubt that he knows Commander Wilson and his wife are on board. I know he wishes no harm to the Commander but Ferengi mouths tend to... open. No offense, Lieutenant."

"None taken, sir. I'll take care of that as well."

When Alec awoke, he realized that it was the first time in recent months that he had slept without having the recurring dream. It made him wonder if he had finally rid himself of its hold. Another thing that he noticed was that Rene did not lay next to him. He called out her name but she did not answer. Once more he called for her and again there was no response. Anxiety began to take over. _Where is she?_ A horrid thought crossed his mind. What if the bounty hunters followed him here and took Rene while he was sleeping? Maybe Jones wasn't exactly dedicated to his safety. No, Jones might have it in for him, but when it all came down to it, he was a dedicated officer and would not wish him harm or let a grudge interfere with his duty.

He got out of bed and walked around their temporary quarters. He saw no sign of his wife, but he could smell her. If there was one thing he could pick up without any doubt, it was his wife's scent. She had been there not long before. When he exited the sonic shower area and went back into the living area, something caught his eye. The screen on the computer terminal was flashing. A shiver ran down Alec's spine as he considered it might be a ransom demand. If it came down to giving himself up for Rene's safety, he wouldn't hesitate for a second.

He was reluctant to activate the console out of fear of what might appear. The need to know quickly took over and he touched the screen. A message to him lay out across the monitor. Relief replaced anxiety as he realized it was from Rene.

"'Alec,'" he said, reading it aloud to himself. "'It took me a minute to figure out how to use this Cardassian computer but I think I got the hang of it. You're still sleeping right now, I'm going over to Ezri and Julian's for coffee. I didn't want to wake you because if anyone needs their sleep right now, it's you. I'll be back soon. Love, Rene.'" Hardly a note that a kidnapper would leave.

Alec looked at the empty bed. It had been a long time since he had taken any time off. Might as well take advantage of it. He climbed back into bed and went back to sleep.

Edwards raised a hand to his jaw, it was still sore from Alec's punch two days earlier. He expected it to be a few days before the pain was completely gone. It was a small price to pay for helping a friend.

President Ross declared a union wide day of mourning for President Sha'Gra. It was a noble gesture, but it did little to win over the Vesuvians. They demanded retribution for the death of their leader. Not all of them believed that Alec's escape was orchestrated by he alone. Many of them believed the Enterprise let him go so he could escape punishment. Captain Picard said that was purely speculative.

They still had no idea where Alec had gone, but managed to fix everything he had sabotaged. One more alteration was found. The targeting scanners were out of alignment, if they had tried to fire on the Travioli they wouldn't have been able to establish an accurate lock.

After Sha'Gra's body was cremated, there had been a change of government on Vesuvia. Bru'Dan had tried to sway the ruling council into letting him take control of the government. He argued the conclusion that the Federation was the wrong power to be allying themselves with and that a stronger, more definitive presence had to be established by their world. When he was asked how he would accomplish this, he declared his intention to establish a more permanent agreement with the Romulan Empire, and what would eventually lead to an alliance. Because of his currently inadeqaute political background, the council decided against his proposal and instead opted to follow the age old protocols.

Edwards was beginning to fear that what Alec had told him was wrong, and that the Romulans were behind everything. It wouldn't have been the first time they had tried to destroy the relations between the Federation and another culture. They had been attempting to destroy the Federation-Klingon alliance ever since its inception. An attempt on their behalf was made to disrupt the quadrant before the Federation was even created. They used a holographically covered marauder to drive Andorians and Tellarites to war by disguising it as a ship from the other's fleet.

His train of thought was lost when his tactical sensors began to sound. One of the bounty hunters was breaking orbit. It was the Nausicaan combat raider. It quickly left his sensors as it jumped into warp. "Captain, the Nausicaan ship has just left the system."

Picard was jarred by his own thoughts. Knowing where the bounty hunter was headed could give them a good idea of where Alec was. "Mr. Data, can you track it's course?"

"Yes, Captain. Just one moment. The ship is on a heading of 327 mark 015. Based on this trajectory, I believe it is heading for the Bajoran system."

"Of course." said Riker.

"Deep Space Nine." agreed Picard.

"Who else could he turn to for help?" Riker's rhetorical question was more of a statement. "Do you think they will?"

"They're good officers, some of the best in Starfleet. I'd expect no less of them."

Not long after Alec awoke the second time, Captain Sisko called him to the wardroom. The rest of the senior staff was already there, except Jones, which wasn't really all that surprising. They wanted to give him an update on how they planned to disguise the Travioli. He rather liked the idea of using holoprojectors. He had a passing familiarity with the Romulan marauder that Nog mentioned. He read something about it years ago when he was brushing up on early Starfleet history. The only difference was he wasn't going to be attacking defenseless ships.

"Not only will your shuttle look different," said Nog, showing them a computer generated demonstration on the wall monitor. "But it will emit the sensor readings to match. And if you're discovered, you can program the projector to recreate the image of another ship."

"Any ship?" asked Alec excitedly. "So I can go flying around space looking like a Borg cube?"

"Sorry, sir. It has to be a ship of comparable size. But with a length of twenty-one meters, that gives you countless options to choose from."

"Beggars can't be choosy. Thank you, Lieutenant."

"You're welcome, sir." The praise of a senior officer from the Federation flagship was a major boost to Nog's ego.

"Julian," said Alec. "Can I call upon your expertise to make a similar change to Rene and I?"

Bashir got his point right away. "It's been awhile since my last surgical alteration. I would welcome a chance. Anything in particular you had in mind?"

"Well, I've always wondered what I would look like as a Bajoran. And Rene loves Ezri's spots. I imagine she'd love some of her own. I know it's not exactly a full makeover, but everyone is going to be looking for a human. It could very well be enough to do the trick."

"One Bajoran and one Trill coming up." said Bashir. "Come by the infirmary when you get a chance. I was actually kind of hoping you had a challenge for me."

Alec thought for a moment. "I could try and pass as a Nausicaan." he said jokingly.

"Now _there's_ a challenge."

In the cockpit of her ship she watched the long streaks shorten to singular shining points as her ship came out of warp. Her prey was close. After a day's travel at her ship's maximum velocity she arrived in the Bajoran system. Getting on board the old Cardassian space station would be easy enough, but attaining her prey should prove to be a challenge given his reputation, at least she hoped it would be. If there was one thing she despised it was prey that was too easy. Her last bounty didn't even require her to work up a sweat, not when the killing was involved anyway.

She maneuvered her ship towards the large Cardassian-made station with her thrusters. Any suspicion other than what her Nausicaan ship brought was not welcome. It did not worry her, Nausicaans were known to sell their ships to other species. She had been at this for years and had not once had her cover story doubted. Normally by the time anyone knew who she was it was too late. This time shouldn't be any different.

Deep Space Nine few larger in her viewport as she approached it. The station had an almost monstrous look to it. The six massive docking pylons looked like tentacles ready to reach out and wrap around any ships that came near it. She respected that. How the Cardassians allowed such a weak race to rise up and drive them away was beyond her comprehension. The Federation was understandable. They were a formidable adversary. Anyone that could overcome such things as the Borg and the Dominion had to be strong to it's core and was not to be taken lightly.

She made it a habit to learn as much about her prey as she could before attempting to apprehend them. Her general opinion of her current contract was that he would be as difficult as any she had brought in before, maybe even more difficult. A rundown of his Starfleet file showed that he had an impressive history.

Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson was born on Luna in 2347. His parents, Paul and Dana, were killed by the Borg in the Battle of Wolf 359, the very same day that he proposed to his girlfriend, Rene Miller. He had the highest scores in his class during tactical training at Starfleet Academy and had since received numerous commendations by Starfleet. Most recently during the war when he was given the Christopher Pike Medal of Valour for destroying a Jem'Hadar Battleship. Upon graduating from the Academy he was one of the most sought after officers.

Two years ago, when the U.S.S. Enterprise was accidentally sent to the Delta Quadrant, he was kidnapped by the Borg and subjected to torture by the Queen of the Collective. Shortly after his kidnapping he was rescued by the U.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. Voyager. The Borg Collective was destroyed and one Starfleet officer, Lieutenant James Moore, was lost during the attempt.

He was also a black belt in a Terran self defense style known as karate, and an expert in the use of an ancient Earth weapon called a katana. It should prove him to be an excellent physical adversary. His tactical knowledge was equally impressive. There was a quote in his file from his former commander, Captain Gleason of the U.S.S. Zhukov. It read as such: 'Alec Wilson is one of the most brilliant, gifted officers I have ever seen. You could put him behind the weapons console of an old Constitution-Class ship and pit him against a Galaxy-Class and he'd still be the odds on favorite.'

During her study of him she learned several other details: His favorite food was mashed potatoes, his favorite drink was Romulan Ale, his favorite song was an ancient Earth tune called Free Bird, and his favorite film was The Empire Strikes Back.

Once she was near enough to the station she opened a hailing frequency. "Deep Space Nine, this is the Ilkresh, requesting docking clearance." If the station didn't have the power to take on over 100 ships she might have just opened fire and boarded it, but given it's capacity she chose a more passive approach.

"_This is Colonel Kira Nerys to Ilkresh. Please state the purpose for your unscheduled arrival."_

She recognized the name of her questioner as that of the station's Bajoran liaison officer, second in command of Deep Space Nine. The militia officer would pose no threat in a physical confrontation. "I've been running my ship pretty hard the past few days. It and I could use a rest." Suspicion was probably already aroused by her vessel. However it had no identifiable markings, there was no way to ascertain her identity or true purpose for being on the station.

There was a short pause as she waited for a response. _"Please proceed to the outer docking ring. Exact coordinates are being transmitted to you now."_

Her navigational console beeped as the coordinates were received. "Thank you, Colonel. I am proceeding to the docking port."

Using her thrusters she maneuvered her ship towards her assigned port. Already at one of the docking ports was the U.S.S. Defiant. She had heard stories of its combat capabilities. As she moved closer to her port she could see the countless people walking past the windows of the promenade inside. Men, women, children, they were nothing but insects, pests, and she would kill all of them if need be to reach her objective.

Finally she reduced her speed to a few meters per second as she closed the gap. There was a shudder as her hull come in contact with the station. _"Deep Space Nine to Ilkresh, you are safely docked and safe to disembark."_

_Tasmith had arrived._


	9. Huntress

Chapter 9

Huntress

Crewman Campbell stood near the airlock. Reluctantly, he stood in wait under orders by Colonel Kira to greet the woman who was piloting the Nausicaan vessel that had just docked. He wished there had been a better reason other than because he was the nearest officer. It was the end of his shift and he was looking forward to the rest.

He had just finished assisting the installation of a holoprojector into a Delta-Class shuttle that had arrived the day before. Apparently it's purpose was on a need to know basis and as an old saying went, he didn't need to know because he wasn't told.

With a hiss, the circular airlock rolled counter-clockwise into the bulkhead. He looked inside the short gangway and saw the exterior airlock open.

The woman that stepped out of the ship was captivating. She walked slowly but seductively. Long, flowing black hair came down to her shoulders and she donned a form fitting, black leather garb. It covered her petite frame from shoulder to toe, a section cut out from the neck to chest displayed a trifling amount of cleavage. At her left side, where a phaser would be on a Starfleet officer, was a silver metal rod. Her footsteps echoed in the small corridor connecting the exterior and interior airlocks. He then looked at her face. She was part Klingon, by her cranial ridges he guessed half. A glimpse of her ears told him she was also part Vulcan. An odd combination.

Her beauty was almost hypnotic, he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. The time it took her to cross the threshold seemed like an eternity. "Welcome to Deep Space Nine." The anxiety was present in his voice. "Are you here for business or pleasure?"

In a split second he noticed that he could not breath, then he realized it was because she had her hand clamped around his throat. Raising him off the ground with one arm, she spun him around and thrust him against the bulkhead, a splatter of blood colored the wall where his head met metal.

She released her grip and he landed on his feet, barely conscious and barely able to stand. Tasmith took a step back and raised her right leg, delivering a kick to his head. He lay on his stomach on the deck. She stepped towards him and brought her heel down on his back with full force. She knelt down and rolled over his convulsing body. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth and his eyes were rolled up in their sockets. She reached out and lightly caressed his neck, the pulse of his slowing heartbeat made her own go faster. Then, not out of mercy, but out of the boredom she now felt, she reached out, grasped his neck and snapped it.

"Both."

"Status report, Colonel." said Sisko as he walked out of his office.

"Nog has informed me that they've just completed the installation of the holoprojector and he just needs another hour to calibrate it."

"Did he mention how he managed to convince Quark to give him the holoprojector?"

"He told Quark not to forget who his father was."

Sisko grinned widely and chuckled. "That'd do it. What's this about a Nausicaan combat raider that just docked?"

"The Ilkresh. The pilot said that she had been running her ship a little hard the past few days and needed a rest." Something seemed familiar about the ship, but she couldn't place it right away. Must not have been important or she would have remembered.

"Where is Commander Wilson now?"

"He told me that after Dr. Bashir was finished with their alterations he was going to use one of the holosuites. Apparently Quark owes him some time. I believe he's there now."

Alec closed his eyes and felt his hair blow in the breeze. Sitting on the grass in the recreation of a Japanese field, the sun shone down on him with a very pleasant warmth. His shirt lay on the grass nearby, there was no need to worry about a sunburn from a holographic sun, and it was too constricting when he was meditating. He loved it here. So peaceful, so quiet. The program came with him wherever he went. It was on this field that he and Rene wed after he graduated from the Academy. He used it whenever he needed to relax, and it was working without fail as it always did.

His katana stuck out of the ground next to him. The blade held firmly in place by the soil beneath the grass. It had been years since he had practiced with it and he wanted to be confident in his ability by working out as many proverbial kinks as he could. After five minutes he felt as if there was no two year gap. His sword was an extension of his arm, it was a part of him. His imaginary opponents took on several forms: Jem'Hadar, Romulan, Borg. All were cut down as the katana swung through the air with a metallic whine.

For the first time since it happened, he had a chance to truly reflect on the event in the cave. He came to the conclusion that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was a pawn, a scapegoat, someone who was just there to take the fall, regardless of identity. People that could set one up like that were without conscience garnered no mercy from him. A fire had been lit within him that he thought was extinguished. It felt good to have it burn again.

Alec's father once told him 'the smartest warrior you could ever hope to be is the one that will never have to fight.' _Sorry to disappoint you, Dad. But you obviously never had to go through what I'm going through now._

The down time also gave him an opportunity to think about other things. Never in his career had he considered requesting a stationary posting, until now. However that might not be an issue in the near future. His children needed a place to grow up where they didn't have to worry about Romulans, or seeing their father go through something like this. Not only that, they needed a place where they could explore all there was to childhood, and that wasn't available on the Enterprise. He and Rene had never discussed it before but he knew she was thinking it too. She always had the edge when it came to parental instinct. They'd figure something out. They always did.

Business at Quark's was rather slow considering it was 1625 hours. The Ferengi bartender sent one of his waiters home because he didn't want to pay someone if they didn't have any work to do. The effect of the incident on Vesuvia evidently didn't stop at the entrance of his establishment. Even Morn was missing.

Times like this made him wish he ran a bar on Ferenginar where business would be flourishing no matter what happened on a distant planet. He could have a bar there if he wanted it, his brother was the Grand Nagus. But, and he would never admit this to anyone, he had grown attached to the station all the years he had been here. But moreso the people. He missed Odo, even though the shapeshifting chief of security had foiled his dealings countless times.

The one thing that irked him the most was his inability to find a suitable replacement for Leeta, who had been his best Dabo girl. She moved to Ferenginar with her husband Rom when he took over as Nagus from Zek. He had been unsuccessful in his attempts to convince Lieutenant Dax to take up the position. And he wasn't even going to try and ask Colonel Kira. He liked having the use of his arms.

Quark had just finished mixing an Arcturian fizz when his eyes glanced up towards the entrance of his bar. He almost dropped the glass in his hand. The amazing creature that entered his bar was unlike any he had ever seen. She walked with a movement so fluid it rivaled that of a flowing stream.

He wasn't the only one that was entranced by her, many of his patrons had watched her enter as well. Some of his male customers were reprimanded by their female companions with a kick to the shins under the table or an elbow to the ribs.

She walked towards the bar, indifferent to the attention she was receiving. Quark could tell she was here with a purpose. "Welcome to Quark's, my dear. If there's anything I can get for you please let me know."

She scanned the room with her eyes. Looking at each face. "Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson. Where is he?" she asked in a soft tone.

Quark wondered if this was a test. This could very well be a way to see if he was able to keep his mouth shut. "Never heard of him." he said with a sly smile. She leaned forward on the bar, he couldn't resist looking down her cleavage.

Again she spoke softly, but more insistently this time. "Surely a man such as yourself must know who's who on this station." She reached up and stroked one of his ears.

_She gives good oo-mox. Kudos, Captain. You're pulling out all the stops with this one._ He hoped nobody was watching. "As a matter of fact, I do. But unfortunately I've never heard of the man you're speaking." He let out a high pitched scream that grabbed the attention of everyone that hadn't notice her come in. She was squeezing his ear with the force of a vise.

"I am in no mood to play, Ferengi. Now tell me where he is." she spoke in the same soft tone.

"I don't know where he is." said Quark between gasps. "I swear!" The ears of a Ferengi were extremely sensitive, and it wasn't exactly the most well guarded secret. "I haven't even heard of him!"

"There are ten hours left in this day. And my grip only gets tighter."

The pain was excruciating. This was no test. "He's...he's in holosuite four. It's... it's upstairs."

She let go of his ear and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him across the bar until their faces were only an inch apart. "Thank you." With no effort she threw him backwards against the shelves, breaking several bottles and spilling alcohol all over the floor behind the bar. Those that gathered nearby to see what was happening now moved out of her way as she walked to the stairs leading to the upper level.

It was amazing that a simulation could bring such peace. If Alec did not know better he would have thought it was the real thing. At one point a holographic bird even flew down and landed near him, walked around for a minute, and then flew off towards the holographic horizon. The horizon was in fact projected from the wall of the holosuite a few meters in front of him.

He had heard stories of claustrophobics that when placed in a holodeck could feel the walls around them no matter how open the simulation. He thanked God for small favors when his fear was limited to the wrath of an angry wife.

His meditation was broken when he heard the exit doors open behind him. _Must be Rene, she's the only one that would disturb me while I'm meditating._ The doors closed and he could hear them vanish followed by soft footsteps on the grass. He could feel the presence of someone behind him. The feel of hands caressing his shoulders confirmed his suspicion that it was Rene. They had not made love in over three days, which as short a time as that may be to some people was a rarity for them, and he knew it had more to do with tension between them than the cramped living conditions on the Travioli.

Her soft hands continued to caress his shoulders. He could feel the warmness of her breath as she started to kiss his neck. He inhaled through his nose so he could smell her always pleasant scent. But something was not right, and he realized it too late. A burning pain seared his scalp, he was being pulled to his feet by his hair. Being caught off guard like that did not allow him to prepare for being spun around and kicked square in the stomach. He fell backward to the ground winded.

Alec, holding his arm across his gut, looked up at his attacker who he knew now o to be his wife. He was shocked to see that his attacker was not a man, but a beautiful young woman. Her beauty was so striking that if he had not already been winded by her kick she would have taken his breath away. She stood about 5'1, about the same height as Lieutenant Dax. She had the cranial ridges of a Klingon, but they were prominent enough to be fully Klingon. He was surprised even further when the breeze caught her long brown hair and it blew aside to reveal the pointed ears of a Vulcan. He had never heard of Vulcans and Klingons mixing, no matter what the percentage of the genealogy was. Her apparel was unique as well, it reminded him of what Seven of Nine wore on Voyager, only much more provocative.

_And then a she-wolf appeared; she seemed to carry every craving in her leanness._ His breath finally returned to him, but he feigned fatigue and injury. "Who are you?" He eyed his katana which was directly next to her several feet away.

She smiled, it was empty of emotion. "I am Tasmith." She spoke softly, as if there was no conflict.

"Bounty hunter?"

"Correct."

"I'd say it's nice to meet you but I'm not known for lying."

"You're not known for killing politicians either, yet you did that anyway."

That angered him, which was no doubt her intention, but there was too much to Sha'Gra's death for him to feel guilty anymore. "Sing another song. I'm tired of that one."

She knelt down to the ground, seemingly studying the environment. Her reaction indicated she held no appreciation towards the beauty of her surroundings. "I accepted the bounty on you because of your reputation alone."

"I'm honoured." Alec was ever so slowly shifting his weight, making it easier to leap for his sword. He had a feeling he'd need it. "How did you find me?" he asked, stalling.

"That is not important. I am offering you a choice."

"Which is?" He was almost ready.

"No doubt you saw the transmission that announced the bounty. You may recall it said 'dead or alive.'"

"I'm guessing you'd prefer me dead."

"I have no preference. I have no wish to see such an excellent physical specimen die, but I'm also eager to see if you are as formidable as it has been told."

"You sound pretty confident of yourself."

"I have-"

Alec sprang from his crouch towards his katana. There was no doubt in his mind he would reach it, but sometimes a person can be wrong no matter how sure they were. He had never seen anyone move so fast. She reached to her side and grabbed the silver metal rod he noticed, it extended into a staff that she brought down onto his shoulder. He believed she was holding back and could have hit him harder if she wished. He landed on the ground face down, the pain in his shoulder slowly going away. Alec rolled over onto his back and planted his hands on the ground beside his head. He then pulled his knees towards his chest and thrust them upward, landing on his feet, narrowly avoiding Tasmith's staff. Alec acted quickly, spinning on his foot and delivering a round kick to her head which sent her tumbling to the ground. Once again on two feet, he pulled his sword from the grass.

He had never fought a woman before and he did not know what to expect. But he knew it would not be easy. For over two millennia, from the ancient Amazons of Earth to modern Klingon warriors, women havd proven themselves to be just as combat capable as men, maybe even moreso, given their naturally higher tolerance for pain.

Alec swung down with his katana. Tasmith countered by gripping her staff at the opposite ends and holding it lengthwise over her head. His katana was unable to dissect her staff. He pushed down as hard as he could, but her strength was superior. Her left leg left the ground and before he knew it he was thrown backward by a kick to the head. Stunned, Tasmith further caught him off guard by striking his right hip followed by a hard blow to his left. He grit his teeth through pain as he staggered backwards. She lunged forward and jabbed with her staff as if it were a spear. Alec released his left hand from his katana and grabbed her staff, pulling her closer. Immediately he pivoted on his foot and delivered a spinning backhanded punch to her head.

It was his favorite technique. Normally such a fierce blow would have brought down a man twice her size, but her unique physiology gave her an impressive resistance. With her superior Vulcan speed she placed him in a headlock. Bending her left knee back, she connected her heel with his face three times before releasing him. He stood for a moment, dazed from the blows. She wasted no time in continuing her assault. She used his weakened condition to her advantage and swung her staff at the inside of his left ankle. The force was sufficient to cause his body to spin counter-clockwise and rise up off the ground. She swung upward with her staff, striking him in the gut.

His breath didn't return as quickly as it did before. Alec knew he would have to give everything he had if he was going to turn the tide of this confrontation. He rose back to his feet and threw his katana at his enemy. As he anticipated she ducked to avoid the projectile. He used the opportunity to run towards her and grab her by the shoulders. Before she could react he swung his leg forward and brought back against her legs. She fell onto her back, held in place by his left arm. He knew that wouldn't last so he drew back his right fist. His punch never connected. Tasmith caught his fist in her left hand resulting in a loud smack. She squeezed his fist, he heard a crack and felt the fracturing of bone.

Then, in a demonstration of a classic Klingon battle technique, she head butt him. He saw nothing but stars for several seconds, but he could feel himself being raised up and then pushed backwards. Tasmith moved quickly towards him, and in a previously unseen agility, she placed her right leg on his abdomen for leverage then raised her left leg, kicking him on the underside of the jaw. She then kicked upward with her right leg, allowing the momentum to continue a backflip and landed on her feet.

Alec had never been on the losing side of a fight before, and needless to say he wasn't happy with it.

He ignored the pain. Now wasn't the time for it, he'd feel pain later. He picked up the sword with his left hand, his right hand was useless at the moment. _Now is the time when being ambidextrous would come in handy._ Tasmith struck the blade of his sword with her staff, sending it flying out of his grip back onto the ground several meters away. Alec then disobeyed one of the key rules of a fight: He took his eyes off his opponent. But he had little choice. He turned to run for his weapon and Tasmith acted on his error. Her staff retracted to it's previous length, and out of one end protruded a long, metal cable that was roughly 4cm in diameter and got progressively narrower all the way down to the tip. There was a loud whoosh as the whip tore through the air. The lash wrapped around his ankle and his foot was yanked from under him as she pulled it taut.

Alec was once more sent down to the ground. This time, he was worried he wouldn't be getting back up. His sword was slowly moving away from him. It took him a second in his disoriented state to realize it was the other way around. Tasmith was pulling him in. He felt like a dogie being roped up by an old cattle rustler. He fought against unconsciousness, vowing not to die in disgrace at the hands of someone paid money to take him out. But there was little he could do. His sword was out of reach and he had nothing else to use. _Wait a minute! I'm an idiot!_

"Computer, change the weather parameters! I need lots of thunder and lightning!" The sky quickly went from perfect blue to full of dark clouds. Bright fork lightning brightened the clouds throughout the endless sky. The thunder followed, it wasn't deafening, but it suited his needs. His opponent shouldn't be able to hear his commands, but the computer would. "Computer, I need a type II Starfleet phaser." The simulated weapon appeared in his hand, but in a moment the fact that it was a simulation would be moot. "Computer, disengage the safety protocols. Authorization, Wilson pi 3-0-0-1." He rolled over on his back and aimed his phaser at the silhouette of his enemy. Deja vu hit him for an instant. But when the lightning struck once more and Tasmith's full form was illuminated he did not hesitate. In a flash of red light she went down.

Alec dropped the phaser and uncoiled the lash from his ankle. With adrenaline wearing off, the effects of the fight began to catch up with him. His fractured hand hurt like hell, as did every place where Tasmith's staff made contact. He could barely move, fatigue swelled over him. "Computer, end program." The simulation disappeared. Everything, the grass, far away trees, the dark lightning filled sky, all vanished and were replaced by metal and synthetic Cardassian materials.

The doors to the corridor outside opened and in entered two Bajoran security officers with their phasers drawn. Their late arrival was understandably frustrating. "Great timing, guys."

The nearest deputy holstered his phaser and rushed to Alec's side, helping him to his feet. "Are you alright, sir?"

"I'll live."

The other deputy hovered over the unconscious body of Tasmith. Even in this state she was exquisite. "Who is she?"

"Don't get too close." said Alec. "I wouldn't be surprised if she fought in her sleep."

The deputy assisting Alec observed his wounds and looked at Tasmith. "Sir, she did _this_ to _you_?"

Alec was not amused. If he had not been in a holographic environment he could very well be dead by now. "If I were you, I'd be less concerned about me and more concerned about what she's going to do when she wakes up." The sooner she was contained the better. A heavy stun setting on a phaser typically left someone unconscious for an hour, but with her unique physiology there was no telling how long she would stay out for.

"Yes, sir." The deputy assisting him gently released his arm and joined the other deputy in carrying Tasmith by the arms. "We'll put her in a holding cell right away."

"You want some advice? Put her behind _two_ forcefields."

When Alec arrived in ops the senior staff was already conversing. Upon seeing her husband, Rene ran across the deck and latched onto him. He winced in pain by said nothing. He was relieved to see she was unharmed. If Tasmith had gotten to her first there's no telling what he would have done. He suspected she must have done something to get the attention of security. The phaser blast, despite being fired with the safety protocols off, was still a simulation and therefore wouldn't have triggered the internal sensors.

"Commander," said Captain Sisko. "It's good to see you still in one piece."

"Are you alright?" asked Dr. Bashir, noticing Alec's injury induced gait. Underneath the nearest console was an emergency medkit, he opened it and removed the medical tricorder within, proceeding to scan Alec with the attached peripheral device.

"I've been better." said Alec, sarcasm in his voice.

"Who did this to you, Commander?" asked Sisko.

"A bounty hunter by the name of Tasmith."

"Tasmith?" Kira's tone indicated sudden realization. She went back to her console. "When I saw the Nausicaan raider on sensors and heard a woman's voice I knew there was something familiar."

"You've heard of her?" asked Nog. He had the left the work of calibrating the holoprojector to one of his technicians so he could be present for the meeting.

"During the Occupation, the resistance tried to acquire her services in taking out Gul Dukat but she wouldn't accept."

"Did she ever say why?" asked Dax, giving a concerned look towards Alec.

"She said that 'any race that would allow their freedom to be taken from them so easily did not deserve it to begin with.' Turns out we didn't need her help."

"Did she attack anyone else but me?" asked Alec, who was finally released by his wife so Bashir could get a more thorough scan. The sound of the tricorder was beginning to give him a headache.

Bashir spoke. "She killed Crewman Campbell outside the airlock of her ship. Crushed three of his vertebrae before breaking his neck." For a brief instant he blamed Alec for the young officer's death, who would still be alive if he had not come to Deep Space Nine. But he shook off the feeling, Alec had no way of knowing this would happen. "And I repaired some bruising to Quark's ear. Naturally he wants to press charges."

"Tell him he'll have to stand in line." said Sisko. "Is there any other information you can share with us, Colonel?"

"There is almost no information on her. But what little there is spins a bigger mystery. She's been accepting contracts for over seventy years. No one who has faced her has lived to tell about it, so nobody has been able to identify her."

"How can she still be a bounty hunter after seventy years?" asked Nog, who was trying his best to take his mind off of his injured uncle.

"I can answer that." said Alec. "She's part Vulcan. And here's more spice for the stew, she's also part Klingon."

Even officers that were not part of the conversation stopped working when that last little tidbit was dropped. A Vulcan and a Klingon mating was unheard of. It had often been the subject of some debate among geneticists what the offspring would be like. Most believed that the resulting offspring would be uncontrollable, that the combination of the hereditary violent Klingon instincts and the fierceness of the suppressed emotional turmoil inherent to Vulcans would produce a child that was forever out of touch with existence. However, there were those among them that believed that Klingon endurance and instinct blended with Vulcan strength and reflexes would result in the ultimate fighting machine. Tasmith had some of one and a lot of the other.

"A Klingon and a Vulcan?" Nog almost couldn't believe it. "Who would have thought it possible?"

"I imagine the same amount that would never suspect a Ferengi and a Bajoran." said Bashir, referring to Nog's father and stepmother.

"You said nobody had seen her and lived to tell about it." said Sisko, raising a grim prospect.

Kira knew what he was getting at and confirmed it. "Yes, sir. She's never left a contract unfulfilled. According to what has been passed down through the years, when her bounty is in a public place, she seduces him. And once she's spent the night with him, she carries out the contract. The Commander here is the only one that's come through a confrontation alive."

Shivers went down the spines of all those present. The person they were dealing with was not only a highly skilled fighter, but sick and twisted. Alec recalled the moment in the holosuite when he thought it was Rene behind him. Tasmith was kissing his neck. It made him wonder what her intentions originally were, but he then decided he was better off not knowing.

The sound of Bashir's tricorder clicking shut broke the silence. "I ran more than one scan to make sure there are no permanent injuries. You have a mild concussion, and a fractured hand. There's some internal bleeding but nothing that can't be repaired. I'd like to get you down to the infirmary."

"Not yet." said Alec, waving him off. "Not until I know how she found me."

"Could she have followed you here?" asked Sisko.

"No, Nausicaan sensors are less advanced than ours. And I made damn sure the Enterprise wasn't going to follow me."

"We haven't been able to get aboard her ship." said Dax. "But by what we can tell by sensor scans, she has a wide array of technology at her disposal. She might have been able to track you somehow."

"I'm afraid it's much easier than that." said Kira. On a hunch she checked all the outgoing transmission logs for anything out of the ordinary. She found a hidden message. "The logs show a transmission was sent to Starfleet on a subspace carrier wave."

"Who sent it?" asked an angered Alec. He already had a hunch who it was.

"Commander Jones."

Before Kira finished speaking, Alec had left the group and was headed to the turbolift. Dax looked to Sisko. "Captain, aren't you going to stop him?"

"_Stop_ him?" Sisko raised an eyebrow. "I'm tempted to _join_ him."

Alec sidestepped around person after person on the promenade. Jones had crossed the line and Alec was going to make sure he knew it. Every square inch of him rattled with pain at the pace which he was moving, but he didn't care. He had always had an iffy relationship with Eric Jones, but this was the first time his feelings toward him had grown to hate. His opinion of the man had also changed. Up until now he had thought Jones to be a self centered but still loyal Starfleet officer who would never purposely do anything to place another officer in danger. And while Jones might not have sent a message to Starfleet for the sole purpose of luring a bounty hunter to the station, he would still have known that every communiqué being sent through subspace would be monitored in search of two specific words: Alec Wilson. Yet Jones did it anyway.

Alec came into view of the security office. Through the windows he could see Jones standing there with his back to the door. _You little weasel._ From the time he left ops he had been working the fingers in his right hand, getting himself as used to the pain as he could. As he got closer to the office he quickened his pace. Jones turned to face the entrance when the door opened, but he did not anticipate nor did he react in time to the fist that struck him in the jaw. He flew backwards onto the desk sending report padds to the floor.

Alec's hand was killing him, but did it ever feel good. Jones let out a groan and raised a hand to his jaw. "What the hell is the matter with you?!" he asked as he rested back on his elbows.

"Don't you dare claim ignorance, you son of a bitch. You sold me out."

"What are you talking about?"

Alec pulled Jones up by the scruff of the uniform and drove his fist into his face once again, this time in the nose, sending his head back to the desk surface. "If you play innocent one more time..."

Jones' eyes were watering up, blurring his vision. He couldn't fight back if he wanted to. There was no way he'd take on someone fueled by rage such as Alec was now, injured or not. He cupped both hands over his nose and spoke in a muffled tongue. "I was doing my job. You're a fugitive, Starfleet had to be informed."

"You can't take the higher ground on this. You didn't contact Starfleet because you wanted to do your job, you did it to ingratiate yourself with them. Well I have news for you, you piece of shit, I may be a fugitive but I am still a Starfleet officer and a citizen of the Federation. You not only put my life in danger but my wife's as well. For that I should kill you. Lucky for you I don't kill slime."

"She was never in any danger. The bounty is on you, not her."

Alec stared dumfoundedly at him. "It's impossible for you to be this stupid. Do you think that a bounty hunter would even hesitate for a minute to use her as leverage? They accept money to hunt people down, morals don't come into question."

Jones sat back up and wiped the blood from his nose. He looked halfway between anger and fear. "What are you going to do?"

"Me? Nothing. I've done all I came here to do. But I'm sure Captain Sisko will have something planned." Alec saw his sheathed katana on the desk next to Tasmith's staff. "This is mine." he said as he picked up his sword. To his left was the door that led to the holding cells. Tasmith was in there. Alec pushed the panel to the right of the door.

"You can't go in there." said Jones. It was his last desperate attempt to gain control of the situation.

"You're welcome to try and stop me." Alec stepped through the archway, the door sliding down behind him.

The two Bajoran deputies what apprehended Tasmith stood roughly two meters apart in front of a holding cell. Contained behind an invisible humming forcefield was their prisoner. She was lying seductively atop the bench, her head leaning against her hand and her left leg resting atop her right. She seemed to not care that she was a prisoner. _She had already brought despair to many._

He was not surprised to see that she was awake. Normally, the maximum stun setting on a phaser rendered a person unconcscious for an hour. But there were certain lifeforms that proved resistant and were only unconscious for fifteen minutes.

"You two, you're on break." said Alec. The two guards obeyed without question or hesitation. Whether it was out of respect and understanding or eagerness to get away from such a dangerous prisoner was irrelevant to him. There was a chair in one corner he pulled it to the front of the cell and sat in it backwards leaving against the back rest.

Tasmith watched him as he sat down, an eerie smirk on her face. "We meet again. I was wondering when you were going to come visit me."

Alec was not fooled by her soft tone. He knew better. "Enjoy it while it lasts because we won't be seeing each other ever again."

"Do you really think this quaint little cell will be able to hold me?" she asked with a giggle that bordered on girlish.

Alec twirled the scabbard in the fingers of his left hand. He wanted to make it seem as if he was uninterested. "Not really. And I'm even less confident in your warden's ability to watch over you. But that doesn't really matter now. I'm not going to be on this station much longer. And I'm willing to bet that a ship is on it's way here to transfer you to a holding facility. Killing an innocent man doesn't exactly earn you many friends in Starfleet."

Tasmith laughed at the memory of killing the officer who greeted her when she came through the airlock. There was no guilt or remorse present, only complete and total amusement. It sent chills up Alec's spine. "I wish they all squirmed like that." she said before laughing once more. "He looked like a fish out of water before I snapped his neck."

He found it hard to believe there could exist such a person. Killing for any other reason other than self defense was appalling to him. He even had a hard time fathoming that centuries ago there were numerous cold blooded murders on the streets of Earth each day. "Why did you kill him?"

Her laughter stopped dead. She stood up from her alluring pose and stepped towards the energy barrier, holding out her arms and leaning against the forcefield. "Because I could."

Alec heard nothing but sincerity in her voice. To think that anyone could justify murder simply because the opportunity was there almost made him sick to his stomach. He was beginning to regret his attempt to get inside the mind of a killer.

Tasmith stood erect, removing her hands from the forcefield. She placed a single index finger on it, running her finger along. "Rene has such a pretty face."

The tip of his katana's hilt hit the floor. His undivided attention was placed on the imprisoned huntress. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Her lips parted in a cruel smile. She sat back on the bench, lying down and rolling over onto her stomach, her legs arched back playfully over her backside. "Does Sonia look more like Rene? Or your mother? I can't decide."

"If you ever go near-"

"James definitely has your eyes, but his hair is more like Rene's natural color."

"I'm warning-"

"For twins, they sure don't look-"

Alec stood in a flash and flung the chair across the room crashing into a wall. Tasmith didn't bat an eye. At the sound of commotion the two guards came back in, hands on their phasers. He stepped closely to the forcefield, close enough that he could feel the energy tickling his skin, making his hair stand on end. "If you keep talking about my family, I will come inside that cell and kill you with my bare hands."

Tasmith rolled back over and perched herself on the edge of the bench, her palms face down on the surface at her sides. "Because you could."

_No, it's not as simple as that. Maybe in your mind, but not mine._ Alec backed away from the forcefield, his grips on his sword handle relaxing. He couldn't believe he had let her bait him like that. "You and I are nothing alike."

"Whether you accept it or not makes no difference to me." Laying lengthwise on her back, she held her hands out and looked at them curiously. "How long do you think it would take?"

"How long would what take?"

Her head turned slowly until heir eyes met. A smile forming once more. "For these hands to squeeze the life out of their tiny little throats."

Alec dropped his sword and rushed towards the control panel adjacent to the cell to deactivate the forcefield. The guards grabbed him by the arms before he could enter the command. Even over their protests he could hear the maniacal laugh of Tasmith. He finally stopped struggling and was released by the guards. After he picked up his sword he walked to the exit. He took one more look at her, she waved at him.


	10. Departure

Chapter 10

Departure

The pain could no longer be ignored. Alec walked the short distance from security to the infirmary. He could feel the pressure from the internal bleeding in his hips but kept walking at a steady pace regardless. He knew full well that Dr. Bashir would be able to repair the damage in a matter of minutes. His first meeting with Tasmith had taken it's toll on him physically, and his second confrontation had them it's toll on him mentally. It was the second one which would take him longer to recover from.

He already knew that Tasmith would use his children to get to him given the chance, but going all the way to Earth would be too time consuming and left the door open for another bounty hunter to swoop in and grab him. He could rest easy knowing his children were safe.

Bashir had returned to the infirmary by the time Alec got there. He was looking over something on one of his wall monitors. Glancing up at Alec when he came into his view, he immediately stopped what he was doing and picked up one of his instruments. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Commander."

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Alec got up onto one of the biobeds. Pain flashed in his hips momentarily, but he didn't mind. "I had something to take care of."

Bashir took notice of Alec's right hand, it was more swollen than it should have been. "I see that. Can I expect to see Commander Jones in here shortly."

"If he comes in complaining of a broken nose, tell him he shouldn't have walked into my fist like that." Alec had let Jones off easy, he deserved a lot worse. Jones' career was most likely over. If no, he had most likely ruined any chance for advancement in Starfleet, Captain Sisko would make sure of that. Commanding officers were not often impressed when their subordinates went behind their backs.

"I'll be sure to let him know." said Bashir. He started with Alec's hand. The swelling went down as he ran a regenerator over the fracture, repairing the bone and any other subdermal damage.

"Julian," said Alec. What he was about to ask a sharp turn away from the events of the past hour. "Is Deep Space Nine a good place to raise children?"

As far as unexpected questions went, it was rated very highly on Bashir's list. "It's an excellent place, especially now that the war is over. And being this far away from Romulan space ensures not being on the front line should anything happen." He placed the regenerator over Alec's hips where the internal bleeding was. The relieved look in Alec's eyes told him the pain was going away. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Regardless of whether or not he was able to resume his career, he was giving serious thought to Deep Space Nine being his next posting or place of residence. There would be a perfect opportunity in the coming days to discuss it with Rene. It was two days travel back to Vesuvia, and wherever else their path led afterwards.

Alec lost track of the next few minutes. He didn't even notice when Bashir had finished.

"There you are." said Bashir, placing the synaptic mollifier back on the instrument tray. "Good as new."

"Thanks, Julian. You're a fine doctor, I don't care what they say about you."

"Thank you. I think."

"_Lieutenant Nog to Commander Wilson."_

"Go ahead, Mr. Nog."

"_Sir, I just wanted to inform you that the holoprojector is ready to go, sir."_

Alec jumped off the biobed, happy there was no pain as he did so. "Finished ahead of schedule. Excellent."

"_Yes, sir. I felt it best to expedite the process."_

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll be along shortly." He turned to Bashir. "That's a talented little Ferengi you have there."

"He's done us all proud."

"Well, Doctor." said Alec as he held out his now healed hand. "I guess this is where I say 'until next time.'"

Bashir took his hand in friendship. "Until next time, Commander. Good luck."

Jones winced in pain as he touched his nose. Even though it was most likely broken he was reluctant to go to sickbay. He knew Dr. Bashir would crack jokes despite the Hypocratic Oath. He now regretted not standing up to Alec. Ever since the Academy he had disliked the man who as ahead of him in every venture. It made no sense why he was on such a backwater posting while Alec was a senior officer on the flagship.

He still had to get back at Alec for all the practical jokes that he and James Moore pulled on him over the years. The most recent one was two years ago when Alec and Moore somehow rigged his replicator to spray chicken soup all over him. It had the bad timing to immediately precede a call to ops from Colonel Kira. Months passed before he had been able to walk around the station without hearing some kind of joke or laugh.

The idea of Alec being beaten in a physical confrontation by a woman, Klingon/Vulcan mix or not, brought a smile to his face. Jones sat up from his desk, he had to see this woman for himself. He dismissed the guards, but it took more than one order from him for them to leave their posts. The looks towards his nose did not go unnoticed. Jones stepped in front of the prisoner's cell. Lying on her back, she watched him with curious eyes since he entered.

She didn't look like much to him. Maybe Alec had gone soft over the years, a wife and children tend to do that. He could probably take her, she was without her weapon. Her beauty was enthralling, he thought it ridiculous that she would be capable of the brutality of which was described. In fact, despite her half-Klingon cranial ridges, she almost looked fragile, and undeniably sexy in her attire. She further caught his attention when she sat up and stretched, arching her back and pushing out her chest.

Jones knew exactly what she was doing, he was no idiot. He didn't mind it either. A woman with a figure like that should be flaunting it. "So you're the one that put Alec in his place."

"That I am." She lay back down on the bench, only this time she was facing him upside down with her legs running up the wall, providing him a more ample view. "Is that of interest to you."

"More than you know." He wished he could have been there to see it. Two lingering bruises remained on her face, but they were the only ones visible. He had seen both her and Alec, and he had walked away with the worst of it. Jones let a slight laugh out, but stopped when the pain in his nose increased. He held his hand up to his nose.

"It seems that you had an altercation with him as well." she observed, concern in her voice.

Jones removed his hand from his nose. "He caught me off guard. He never would have gotten close enough if I had seen him coming." He had gone over those words enough times in his head that he was pretty sure they came off as truthful.

"I'm sure."

He saw admiration in her eyes, it worked. He knew he could impress her if he played it right. "Have you been at this a long time?" It was time to talk about her, women liked that.

"Longer than some."

"I'm assuming you're good at it." said Jones with a grin.

She fixed him a longing stare. "I always get what I want."

"I bet you do." It didn't take an empath to know what she had on her mind. "Hopefully you get to mix business with pleasure."

"Whenever I get a chance."

He inched close to the cell, knowing she wanted the same thing he did. "I have a proposition."

"Oh?" she said inquisitively, flirty even.

"What's Alec worth to you?"

"More than you know."

"And if I were to release you so you could catch him."

"I would be extremely grateful." she eyed him amorously.

"I thought you would be." He hadn't a second thought. She wouldn't harm him, she was only interested in fulfilling her contract right now. Anything else was senseless.

Jones touched the control panel to the cell. With almost cat like reflexes, she pounced off the bench and had him on his back. She quickly got off him and grabbed him by his nose, making him scream in pain. He was dragged into the cell and picked up as if he were an isolinear chip. She dropped him on the bench and once more climbed on top of him.

"Men," she said. "Your biggest enemy is not Romulan, Borg, or Jem'Hadar. It's your ego. For some of you it takes only the idea of a woman taking you into her bed to make your I.Q. drop fifty points. How you've lived as long as you have is a surprise to me."

Jones was still in pain, it made it hard for him to think. "Are you going to kill me?"

Tasmith laughed as she grabbed him by the throat. "I could. It would be so easy. There's nobody here to stop me. And I don't think anyone would care much about your passing." She let go of his neck, allowing him to breath. "But there's no fun in that. You were far too easy. I've taken out Ferengi that were smarter than you."

Jones breathed in as much as his burning throat would allow. "What are you going to do?" he asked between coughs.

She grabbed him uniform and pulled him up, lowering her head and inhaling deeply. "The smell of fear, there's nothing like it. You pathetic man, I'm not going to do anything. Killing you would be a release from your worthless life. I'm not in the business of doing favors." She placed her feet on the floor, and stepped out of the cell, activating the forcefield as she passed the panel and headed for the exit. The two guards were standing with their backs to her as she stepped through quieter than the vacuum of space. She had them unconscious on the floor before they knew what had happened.

"Computer, where is Lieutenant Commander Wilson?"

"_Lieutenant Commander Wilson is at runabout pad C."_

It was time for her to finish what she started.

When Alec saw the holographic cover of the Travioli he could hardly believe it. It looked like an authentic cargo ship. By the design he assumed an Andorian vessel. It was perfect. "This is incredible."

Standing next to Alec, even Captain Sisko was impressed. "Mr. Nog, you've outdone yourself." he said as he put his hand into the hologram.

Nog stepped through the fake bulkhead carrying a toolkit and surprising Sisko. "Thank you, sir. I took into account the Travioli's velocity and chose a ship with a comparable speed. An Andorian cargo runner."

"What about their biosigns?" asked Sisko as he removed his hand from the projection.

"Dr. Bashir took care of that." said Alec, his wife holding on to his arm. "He implanted Rene and I with micro-transmitters that will fool sensors into believing we are who we appear."

"_Jones... to...Captain Sisko."_

Sisko took note of the strained voice that spoke to him over the comsystem. "What is it, Commander? And make it quick."

"_It's Tasmith, sir. She's...she's escaped, sir. She got out of her cell and put me in it."_

"Sisko to all hands, security alert. Computer, where is the intruder, Tasmith?"

"_The intruder is currently on the promenade."_

"Sisko to all promenade security, the intruder is on the promenade. Neutralize her as soon as possible." A violent, psychopathic killer loose on his station was the last thing he needed. She shouldn't even be loose at all. "How the _hell_ did she escape, Commander?"

A few seconds of silence was all it took for Alec to figure out what happened. The fool had let her out. If it was not imperative that he and Rene leave immediately he would have gone down and had another word with him. "Captain, I think that's our exit cue."

"Go, Commander." agreed Sisko. "We'll do our best to hold her."

Rene hugged Sisko and Nog. "Thank you both for your help."

"Yes," said Alec. "And please thank everyone else for us." He shook their hands. "I don't know who else we could have gone to for help. I owe you both bottles of Romulan Ale."

"You'll always have friends here, Commander. And I prefer Saurian Brandy."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I have a few bottles on the Enterprise that belonged to a friend. I think he'd want you to have them."

Sisko chuckled. "Good luck to you, sir."

Alec nodded and took Rene by the hand, walking her to the shuttle and disappearing as they walked through the hologram.

"Let's go, Lieutenant."

The promenade was full of frightened people. People running indoors, taking refuge in Quark's, and in the Bajoran shrine. Doors wouldn't stop her. Parents stepping in front of their children, protecting them. Fools, if she truly wanted the children dead the pitiful acts of maternal and paternal instincts would not keep her from doing so.

She expected someone to try and stop her shortly. They would not allow her to return to her ship so easily. Not only did she expect it, she craved it.

Two security officers, one Bajoran and one Starfleet, walked onto the gangway above and ahead of her and took aim with their phasers. She took cover behind a tall rectangular panel that said 'Promenade Directory' before their weapons discharged. At last, she was going to have some fun.

After their phaser beams dissipated, she extended her whip. Once she thought it at a sufficient length she left her cover and lashed up at the Bajoran officer, the lash wrapping tautly around the wrist of his phaser hand. With a quick, strong jerk, she pulled. The man flew head first over the railing and landed on his back with a loud thud on the floor of the promenade's lower level. He didn't move.

The screams of the local population thrilled her, but she knew there would be just as great a thrill in personally silencing those screams. There was no time for that now, she was wasting enough of it playing with security. As much as she hated to end this game, she needed to. She rolled to dodge a second assault from the overheard Starfleet officer. Shouts of more security officers came from the upper level. Staying on the lower level would be foolish, she was too vulnerable to phaser fire. It was time for her to employ a little physics. Using her whip once again, she lashed up at the Starfleet pest. The lash wrapped not around his wrist, but his neck. He dropped his phaser and grabbed at the lash with both hands, unable to uncoil it.

Her intent was not to pull him over the edge, but instead to drive him backwards. She reached down and picked up the phaser dropped by the Bajoran officer, aimed it square in the chest of the Starfleet officer and fired.

The concussive force of the phaser set on maximum stun pushed him backwards. She did not cease fire until she was certain the intended purpose would be achieved. She estimated his mass at approximately ninety kilograms, she herself being less than fifty. She held the handle of her whip with both hands as he fell over the railing on the opposite side of the gangway. Having almost double her mass, he acted like a pulley as he fell. She was raised into the air and onto the gangway.

The man was dangling in mid air, kicking and struggling, desperate for oxygen. Cries for him to be let go were shouted from all around. She would have continued to let him hang there if she did not need her weapon. She pressed a button on the handle, easing the tautness of the lash. She felt it go slack and immediately after heard a thump as the man fell to the lower level. She pressed another control, the lash fully retracted back into the base then the handle extended into the staff she had used earlier against her quarry. There were now two guards in front of her and two behind, all Bajoran. Four against one, it hardly seemed fair, for them.

The lead man in front rushed her. It was the first and last mistake he made. Tasmith swung her staff, striking him in the head and sending him over the railing. Three to go. One of the guards to the rear rushed her. Still facing ahead, she drove her staff backwards into his gut and heard him hit the floor winded. In the same motion she jabbed it forward and up into the jaw of the next guard that was coming at her. As he flew onto his back, she spun around and swung her staff down onto the head of the guard she had winded, rendering him unconscious. Down to two. Two big arms wrapped around her from behind. Her arms were pinned in such a way that even with her superior strength she had no leverage with which to break free. The other remaining guard saw she was restrained and moved in to assist.

Tasmith pushed up with her legs and thrust the bottom of her feet into his chest, he tumbled backward, very slow to get up. The guard holding her released quickly, knowing she'd be off balance due to her body positioning. She rolled over her body so she'd land on her hands and knees. With both hands firmly grasping her staff she plunged it into the surface of the gangway. Making sure it was sufficiently held in place before acting she jumped and rotated on her hands around the staff, kicking the oncoming guard in the back and sending him into the arms of the guard that she had previously kicked. The momentum transferred from one guard to the other as they collided, sending the stationary officer over the railing. To prevent him from falling his comrade quickly reached over and grabbed his hand.

Tasmith pulled her staff from the gangway surface and twirled it in the fingers of her left hand. After she built up enough kinetic energy she swung it like a baton against the back of his knees. The sudden rush of pain caused him to release the hand of his comrade. One left. Unable to stand he fell to his knees, groaning loudly in pain. She stepped to his side and gripped his hair tightly in her hand and thrust his head forward into the metal railing. He was unconscious before he knew what had happened.

"Status report, Colonel." said Sisko as he and Nog stepped off the turbolift into ops.

"Not good, Captain." said Kira. She had just received word from Bashir. Two security officers were seriously injured, and one, a Bajoran, was in critical condition and might not live. "She took out a fifth of our security in less time that it takes to replicate a raktajino."

"Tell security to stay out of her way. She'll get to her ship but we're not letting her go."

"Aye, Captain."

"Is the Travioli away yet?"

"She's just taking off now."

"Hail her."

Alec looked out the viewport as he piloted the shuttle away from Deep Space Nine. It was as if there was no holographic cover at all. Nog had programmed the projection to be a one way illusion, much like the mirrored glass law enforcement officers on Earth used centuries ago when they were questioning a suspect in what was called the interrogation room. The one way hologram allowed them to remain hidden but still have their view unobstructed.

His course was already plotted for a direct route back to Vesuvia. They'd arrive under perfect cover, their ship disguised, their appearances altered, and biosigns falsified. It was almost too good to be true, which was why Alec had doubts.

Rene was behind him at the tactical display. He knew she wanted to feel useful, and he'd rather she be firing the weapons than flying the ship. Not that she didn't know how to fly a shuttle, she'd taken a few lessons, but if they got into a tight spot it took more instinct and control to fly than fire a torpedo. Back on the Enterprise he had often told Rene that being in control of the most powerful arsenal in two quadrants gave him a euphoric sense of power, and he was hoping that being at the tactical console would have the same effect on her.

A sudden beeping in front of Rene made her jump. From what she had learned, it was the communications system. "Alec, I think Deep Space Nine is hailing us."

"Hmm. Maybe they want to wish us one more goodbye. Put it on screen." An image of Captain Sisko in the ops center appeared on the monitor before him, Alec thought he could see alert lights still flashing in unison. "Captain, I'm guessing this isn't a social call."

"As much as I'd like it to be. Tasmith has neutralized every security officer we've sent at her. I've ordered everyone to stay out of her way and let her board her ship, but she'll be grounded once she gets there."

"Any precautions we can take?"

"As a matter of fact there is. I'll let Lieutenant Dax explain."

Ezri Dax stepped into view. She was not smiling as she normally did. But she still had the confident composure they had come to expect from her. "I'll make this as quick as I can. Fly to the entrance of the wormhole. Once you're at the mouth, jump into warp. That should mask your warp signature."

"I'll have to remember that trick the next time I find a stable wormhole." Alec quickly adjusted course for the tunnel to the Gamma Quadrant. "Thanks, Ezri."

She managed a smile before leaving the frame. "No problem."

The sight of blood on the wall made Tasmith's heart beat faster. It made her wish she had more time with her first toy, but she relished what little she did have. She was a little disappointed there were no more attempts to stop her, they would have been foolish to anyway.

She put her head against the dried blood and smelled it. It's aroma was so sweet to her senses.

The airlock was to her right, she passed through the short corridor and boarded her ship. If she were a Nausicaan she might consider it cramped but with her below average height it was rather spacious. There were only three main compartments: The cockpit, a cabin originally built for two, and a dining area. With the ship being occupied by only one person she relegated the extra space to trophies that she kept from some of her more prolific contracts. She already had a space reserved for the Starfleet officer. It was for his sword.

Tasmith took a seat at the pilot controls. There was no sign of her quarry's ship on sensors but that mattered little, she would find him. As she suspected, the docking clamps were still holding her ship. They weren't going to let her go willingly. The commander of the station would do everything short of risking the lives of those on board. It wouldn't come to that, she prepared for every situation, had a contingency for everything, even this one.

She reached up to a control panel on the upper left of the console. It housed the controls to the numerous special functions of her ship. The only one she currently needed was the partition mode. She had never used it in the field but she had tested it several times personally. There was a slight shudder as the section of her hull held by the docking latches detached from the rest of her ship. Her thrusters activated and she began to back away from the station.

"I can't detect any trace of his warp signature, Captain." said Dax, scanning the vicinity of the wormhole's event horizon.

"Finally, some good news." said Sisko, pleased that something was going right.

"I have some bad news for you, Captain." said Kira. She understated the word bad.

"What now?"

"Tasmith had another surprise for us. She disengaged a part of her hull and is now moving away from the station!"

Nog looked at his panel in disbelief. "She's good. No wonder she never missed a contract."

Sisko was not about to let this bounty hunter go after his friend. "Tractor beam!" his voice exploded with anger.

Tasmith was monitoring her sensors constantly for any increase in graviton emissions. It didn't take long for her wait to be over. Such an increase meant only one thing: They were engaging their tractor beam. It was so utterly predictable in almost made her roll her eyes. She reached her hand back to the special functions panel. Before her finger could press the intended controls she felt her ship shudder as her speed was brought to a full stop. Their tractor beam had locked on and was beginning to pull her ship back towards the station. Once again she reached for the panel, this time unhindered. With a few buttons she activated the graviton generator. Every contingency.

Kira couldn't believe her eyes. Everything they did to stop Tasmith, every guard they sent at her, she got past. Her ship was speeding away at an unbelievable speed. Once the sensor readings were clear it was more believable and understandable. "Captain, she's erected a graviton field around her ship. Combined with our tractor beam it's repulsing her ship away from the station!"

"Damn!" _Like two magnetic north charges._ Sisko was as upset he had ever been. He did not like being beaten. Opening fire was his last resort. "Lock phasers."

"It's no use, sir." said Nog, the latest bearer of the bad news. "At the speed which she's moving she's gone beyond our weapons range."

"She's gone into warp, sir." said Dax.

"What's her heading?" Sisko sighed.

Dax double checked her sensors to make sure there was no mistake. There wasn't. "Captain, she's on a pursuit course for the Travioli."

"What?! How is that possible?"

"Maybe her sensors really can detect what ours can't." said Nog.

"Or maybe..." Sisko's voice trailed off. He hoped his suspicion proved incorrect.

"Maybe what, sir?" asked Dax.

"Dax, you said there is no trace whatsoever of the Travioli's signature?"

"None, Captain."

That's one piece of the puzzle. "And she never saw the Travioli after the holoprojector was installed, correct?"

"Yes, sir." answered Nog. His staff would have reported any unauthorized personnel to him. "She doesn't know that she's looking for an Andorian ship."

Two pieces had fallen into place, now all that remained was the third. "Colonel, what time did Tasmith dock?"

"0920 hours."

"A little over an hour ago." Sisko's next question would either confirm his suspicion or make them look for another answer. "Now, Colonel, what time did Jones send his subspace message?"

Kira quickly checked the log. She hadn't bothered to check the time before. She had just assumed, understandably, that the message was how Tasmith tracked Alec to Deep Space Nine. What she discovered proved otherwise. "Jones sent his transmission at 0925."

"Five minutes after she arrived." The third and final piece had been confirmed. "She didn't find him because of that transmission."

"And she's not following the Travioli." said Nog. "I can guarantee that. So that means..."

Sisko smacked the center console. Their efforts to disguise the Travioli were in vain. "She's tracking _him."_


	11. Return

Chapter 11

Return

_Captain's personal log, stardate 57515.7. It has been four days since Commander Wilson stole a shuttlecraft. The motives for his actions are to locate the party responsible for the event at the signing ceremony. I must admit that after reviewing the evidence he has gathered it presents a strong case for his innocence. And although I wish he had gone about this search differently, I am nonetheless going to approach this on that basis._

Picard had been sitting in his ready room for the past hour. Placed in a saucer on his desk before him was second cup of Earl Grey tea from which he had just taken his final sip. Over the past few days sensors had detected more explosions at the same location as the original one they had detected en route to Vesuvia. In his gut he knew it not to be a coincidence.

Lieutenant Edwards had shared his thoughts with Picard. He himself now believed that the Romulans had a hand in or at least had foreknowledge about the disruption in the signing ceremony. It was included along in his report to Starfleet along with the rest of the evidence Alec had gathered. Their response was that Alec had indeed been set up and was justified in his decision to open fire. They were not to turn him over to Vesuvian authorities no matter what they decided. He was not to go without discipline however. He had stolen Starfleet property and conducted willful sabotage. By Starfleet Command's judgment, the means were not justified.

Picard could not take his mind off the bounty hunter that had gone after the Travioli. If Alec got drawn into a firefight he would most likely find himself outgunned. And he could not outrun the combat raider either, he was outclassed in that area by almost a warp factor. Alec's main advantage was his ability to improvise. That more than anything would save his life.

The veteran captain was also preoccupied with Vesuvian relations. He was hoping something could be salvaged. But that depended on the current president. He had not been a supporter of Federation membership, but he had not been a denouncer either. According to what information they had, it was he who originally suggested trade with Romulus. There was a good possibility that he might choose to explore that relationship rather than pursue what there was with the Federation.

"_Captain Picard to the bridge."_

"On my way, Number One." Picard exited his ready room in time to catch a glimpse of the Klingon ship on the viewscreen. It sped away and vanished in a warp flash. "Report." he said as he took over the command chair from Riker.

Riker took his own seat. "Just before the Klingon ship jumped out of warp we picked up a transmission from the Bajoran sector to Starfleet Command. It said that Alec was on Deep Space Nine and was getting help from Captain Sisko."

"So that's where the Klingon ship was off to." Luck was not on his chief of security's side. He now had two ships after him and both outgunned him. "How did we manage to intercept that transmission? Earth and Vesuvia are on opposite sides of Bajor."

Edwards fessed up. "I tapped into some of our listening posts in the hopes that I might hear something."

As a captain, it was something he did not approve of. But as a man who cared about his friends, he understood. "Mr. Edwards, I'd appreciate it if you'd check with me before doing something like that again." Picard wasn't mad, he was just asserting his authority as a captain must do from time to time.

"Won't happen again, sir."

"Should we lay in a pursuit course for the Bird of Prey, Captain?" asked Riker.

"No, we'll maintain orbit."

Riker couldn't believe his ears. How could his captain just sit idly by when one of their own was in trouble? "Captain, you heard John's assessment of the Klingon ship. You know it has as much firepower as a Vor'cha-Class attack cruiser. Alec doesn't stand a chance."

"He should have thought of that before he stole a shuttlecraft. The moment he left that shuttlebay, the Commander forfeited any assistance we might render. Admiral Nechayev has declared him a rogue. Like it or not, he's on his own."

Alec was actually looking forward to the trip back to Vesuvia. It would give him and Rene a chance to talk, which is something they hadn't done in awhile. Although her primary point of conversation would probably be Vesuvia and Tasmith, whereas he wanted to talk about the possibility of relocating after this was all over.

Whenever he was offered a new posting, he talked with Rene first just to make sure she was alright with it. And each time she went along with no argument. She simply told him that as long as it is what he truly wanted she would go with him wherever he went. But now he felt that since it wasn't just their lives that were affected but those of their children as well, that it was a choice they both should make.

Rene was behind him at the tactical console, her presence reassured by the beeping of the panel. Since they left DS9, she had been preoccupied with tactical simulations that he assigned her. It was just to give her more of a feel for it, and he could tell by the cursing under her breath that she wasn't doing so great at first. But after a time the cursing became more and more infrequent until it was replaced by outbursts of excitement.

He tried to include some variety in the simulation and also wanted there to be as much accuracy as possible. He included scenarios with Jem'Hadar attack ships, Tholian cruisers, Borg scout ships, and numerous other ships of comparable tactical capability. She was as ready for the real thing as she could get.

"Having fun, dear?" he asked.

"When you told me there was fun in the job I didn't know you meant this much."

"Just remember, it's not as much fun when the weapons can really hurt you." Now was as good a time as any to bring up what was on his mind. "Rene, do you remember what I said to you when I found out I got the Enterprise."

"You said 'we're going whether you like it or not.'"

_Oh yeah, I did say that._ Alec laughed to himself. He had forgotten about that until now. "Okay," he said, chuckling a little. "Do you remember what I said that wasn't a joke?"

"Yes. You said that whenever I want to stay in one place and pursue my own career that I shouldn't keep it to myself. Wait...What are you getting at? Have you been offered another posting?"

He heard the reluctance in her voice, maybe this wasn't the right time to bring it up. But he had already opened the door and put his foot through, it was too late to turn back. "No, and depending on what Starfleet decides I may never get another posting or even yet have one to go back to. But for the time being, let's work under the assumption that I will. I'd be lying if I said I wanted to leave the Enterprise, but I've been too focused on my career that you've had to sacrifice too much of yours. I think I've come far enough in this short a time to be able to slow it down a notch. And let's face it, as much as I love the Enterprise, it's not the most ideal place to raise two children."

Rene always knew that her and Alec were usually on the same wavelength, and she was relieved that this subject was no exception. She was also glad that she was not the one that brought it up. "I've been thinking about that too. But are you really ready to leave?"

"I wouldn't say I'm ready, but the time is right."

There was something about flying under cloak that gave Tasmith a certain jubilation. Maybe it was the fact that she could decloak in front of an unsuspecting ship and destroy them before they even had time to blink. That would not be the case this time. She would not fire on her prey, not yet.

A special sensor add on showed a blip on it's display. The blip indicated a homing device. The homing device was how she followed him to Deep Space Nine, and it was how she was following him now.

She had them dead center in her viewport, no more than a kilometer away. It may have the appearance and warp signature of an Andorian cargo runner, but she knew it to be a Delta-Class shuttle. The Bajoran and Trill lifesigns were also lies. On board were two humans, one male and one female. The female was immaterial, although she would catch a fine price at an Orion Syndicate slave auction. Or maybe she'd just keep the woman for herself, she could think of more than one thing that she'd be useful for. But she wanted him. The one million bars of latinum meant little to her. She would have accepted the contract if it were only one thousand bars, or one hundred bars, or even if it was only one slip.

For years she had heard stories of this particular Starfleet officer, wanted by every captain in the fleet that knew his name. One who destroyed a far superior Jem'Hadar Battleship with the weapons of a damaged Excelsior-Class starship, and the one who was coveted by the Borg more than Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise.

Upon returning to her vessel after dispersing with the human and Bajoran pests, she saw that her logs had picked up a transmission from Deep Space Nine to Earth indicating the presence of her new quarry. She had no doubt that the Klingon vessel in orbit of Vesuvia would now be on it's way to the general vicinity. There were no qualms about letting them find him either, for it would only mean their own demise. She knew of them by reputation. Two Klingon brothers, they had been working together since the youngest reached his second rite of ascension ten years prior. They were reckless, destructive. Their ship may outgun his ten to one, but his skills were far superior. Sitting back and watching her prey dispose of her competition was something she was more than willing to do.

The course she projected took them back to Vesuvia. It was a very foolish act to go all the way back there, which told her he knew exactly what he was doing. But she couldn't figure out what.

"Captain," said Edwards, his eyes still on the sensor display. "Two ships coming out fo warp. It's the Falcon and the Emissary."

"On screen." said Picard as he stood up and straightened is uniform.

The two newly arrived Starfleet vessels appeared on the viewscreen in all their streamlined, tritanium glory.

On her own, the Akira-Class falcon appeared as if she were a small vessel, but such was not the case. She was actually longer than the Nebula-Class U.S.S. Emissary. The Falcon flew along her fellow ship as gracefully as her namesake. Not from the most intimidating looking line of ships, but she was of the more exotic designs that Starfleet had chosen to commission in the past decade. Her general appearance harkened back to the NX-Class in the sense that a catamaran hull connected the perfectly circular saucer section tot he warp nacelles. The main difference being that the warp nacelles protruded at a downward angle rather than upward and the nacelle pylons continued upward from then hull in an arch with a powerful torpedo launcher in the center.

The Emissary entered orbit just aft of the Enterprise. Her large saucer section was of the same used in the construction of a Galaxy-Class starship, only it was fully integrated into the secondary hull and could not be separated. As a little cousin to the Galaxy-Class, she had a much smaller secondary hull with a weapons pod on top and warp nacelles arching outward from the sides.

"Hail both ships, Lieutenant." said Picard. "Split screen mode."

"Aye, sir."

The display of the two starships was in moments replaced with two captains sitting on their respective bridges. Both of which were no doubt seeing the same viewscreen image, only with Picard where they themselves would otherwise be. On the left was a human male, who looked like he had seen his fair share of duty during the war. Captain Charles Anderson acknowledged him with a smile and bowed his salt and pepper crown.

On the right was the crafty, dignified looking woman Picard had come to know so well. Her shoulder length red hair complimented the wide smile that spread across her face. "Greetings, Jean-Luc. It's good to see you again."

"The feelings mutual, Kathryn." said a smiling Picard. "Captain Anderson, it's good to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine, Captains." said Anderson as he raised his hand. "It's an honour to be alongside officers of such prestige."

"You flatter me, sir." said Janeway, her smile growing brighter. "But thank you."

"Would the two of you be interested in coming aboard the Enterprise?"

"I'd be delighted." said Janeway sincerely. "I wouldn't mind seeing her again."

"Come aboard the flagship?" Anderson acted jokingly as if it was a stupid question. "You won't need to twist my arm."

"I'll arrange for you transport then." said Picard. "See you shortly." The default forward view reappeared on the viewscreen. "Number One, you have the bridge."

"Picard to Ambassador Neelix." he said as he walked to the turbolift. He hoped that the Talaxian hadn't heard about his former captain's impending arrival. "Please report to transporter room three."

"_Right away, Captain."_

The Enterprise had just shown up on long range sensors. Sensors also picked up two more contacts, both Starfleet. Their subspace transponders identified them as the U.S.S. Falcon and the U.S.S. Emissary. Alec had only heard of the Falcon once or twice before, but he was more than familiar with the crew of the Emissary. He very much wanted to say hello and catch up with them all but doing so would not have been wise.

In five minutes the Travioli would drop out of warp and enter orbit of Vesuvia. Alec was curious as to whether or not his friends would see through the ruse. He would soon find out. There was no sign of the Klingon ship. Which meant it had cloaked or left the system, probably both. No doubt it had gotten the message that Jones had sent to Starfleet.

_That damn Jones._ Alec had the perfect idea for retribution. He'd suggest to Captain Sisko that Jones be forced to take part in Starfleet's cultural exchange program. Commander Riker had once taken part in the program. He was placed on board the Klingon vessel Pagh as first officer. He said he had learned a great deal about their culture from his experience. That's exactly what Alec wanted with Jones, except he wanted him to learn a different kind of lesson. A Klingon posting was exactly what he had in mind, but it wouldn't be a ship, he had a much better idea. There was a penal colony and dilithium mine deep inside Klingon territory on a planetoid called Rura Penthe he had his eye on. It was known across the galaxy as 'the alien's graveyard.' It was very cold there, one would die of exposure outside if they did not wear sufficient clothing. He could think of no better place.

"What is so funny?" asked Rene in an amused tone.

Alec did not even notice he had been laughing. But now that he did he just went with it. "Oh, just planning a little surprise for an old acquaintance."

"This acquaintance wouldn't happen to go by the name of Eric Jones would he? What did you do to him anyway?"

"I gave him a break." The joke was awful, he knew it, and if Rene knew the full story she would have groaned, but he laughed at himself regardless. Glancing down at the navigation panel he saw they were about to enter Vesuvian space. He took a deep breath before placing his hands on the console. "Time for a test."

After spending an hour in conference getting updated by Picard in his ready room, Janeway and Anderson returned to their respective ships and Picard returned to the bridge.

"Captain," said Edwards, his eyes on the sensors. "A ship just came out of warp."

"What kind of ship?" asked Picard as he sat down. He was hoping it might have been Alec, coming back to turn himself in and save himself some disgrace, but he didn't think Alec would make such a move. His chief of security always saw things out to the end.

"Checking. It's an Andorian cargo runner, Captain. Registered as the 'Shran.'"

"Lifesigns." asked Riker. He couldn't help but wonder.

"Two. One Bajoran, and one Trill."

Picard's gut instinct was nagging at him. But he didn't have much to go on. All his gut had was the fact there were two lifesigns on board, and they weren't even human. But that could be easy to falsify if one had the resources. Although he couldn't think of anywhere Alec could get his hands on such a ship. Unless he obtained it at Deep Space Nine. "Mr. Data, establish a subspace link with Deep Space Nine. I want to know if any Andorian cargo runners have docked there in the past week."

"This will take a moment, sir."

Alec's stomach churned. He desperately wanted to know what was going on over on the Enterprise. "To be a fly on the wall."

Rene was easily able to read the console before her thanks to the training she had gotten over the past two days. "They're scanning us."

He held his breath without realizing it. Within seconds they'd know if they had fooled their friends. It was not a pleasant feeling. "If we're discovered I want you to let me take all the blame."

"Like I wouldn't anyway? You practically kidnapped me!"

He had to turn around just to make sure the other person in the room was still the woman he called his wife. Only when he saw the smile on her face did he realize she was joking. He turned right back to the navigational display. "Next time you want to try out for a play remind me not to question your acting skills."

"If you think I'm going to let you ride any of this out by yourself you can forget it. I took a vow to stay with you through good and bad. I think this counts."

"You might want to wait and see how bad it gets first."

A subspace message regarding Data's request appeared on his console. The information contained within discredited the idea that Alec and Rene were aboard the Shran. However, he did not rule out the possibility that the record might be falsified. After all, the crew on board DS9 did shelter them. It was by no means out of the question they would take this measure to protect him.

"Captain, I have received the log you requested. According to Deep Space Nine's records, the cargo runner Shran docked for repairs two weeks ago before departing for destinations unknown."

"It hasn't been back there since?"

"Negative, Commander."

"Should I hail them, Captain?" asked Edwards.

Opening a channel was the most sensible idea. But it was most likely futile. If it was Alec on board he had undoubtedly prepared for such a thing and come up with an appropriate course of action. The only way to truly find out who was on board was to either beam someone over, which there was currently no justification, or to bring the ship into a shuttlebay. If they were in Federation space they could use a health and safety inspection as a cover for the latter, but they were out of their jurisdiction.

Besides, if it really was Alec, he had a greated chance of getting to the bottom of things without interference. "Leave them to their business. But keep an eye on them with the sensors just in case."

Alec had been anticipating the hailing chime to sound from the communications console, but there was nothing. The Enterprise did not try to contact them, they did not come around on an intercept course and they didn't initiate more thorough scans. She just maintained her orbit around Vesuvia. If they were onto the ruse they certainly were making no indication. "So far so good." _They seem to be going out of their way to leave us alone, maybe they're onto us._

"What now?"

"Now," said Alec as he established a stationary orbit. "I go back to the scene of the crime." He stood up from the helm and made his way up the incline, grabbing his tricorder and katana from the ops station.

"What do you need that for?" she asked, pointing at his katana.

"I've got a psychotic woman and who knows how many Klingons after me." Alec pulled the strap of the katana's scabbard over his head and placed it across his chest so the scabbard sat diagonally across his back, the handle of the sword sticking up over his right shoulder. "I'm not taking any chances."

"I want to go with you." said Rene as she stood from the tactical station and approached him.

"Ohhhhh no." He put his hands on her shoulders and walked her back to tactical, seating her gently. "I don't want to worry about you down there."

"As opposed to worrying about me up here all by myself?"

"That won't work." he said, kneeling down so they were face to face. "Rene, they will not be interested in you because I will be an easy target down there. There's little point in using you against me when I'm practically in plain sight. That's if, _if_, by some means they find us. And there's also your unwitting guardian angel."

"Who?"

Alec pointed out the viewport. She saw the Enterprise orbiting ahead of them. "They won't sit idly by and let a defenseless ship with a Federation citizen on board get attacked. And I doubt anyone would try anything with the Enterprise there. You're far safer up here, away from me."

"What if the Enterprise starts hailing?"

"Activate the interactive response program that Nog installed as part of the package." He saw the apprehensive look on her face. He wasn't without compassion, he desperately didn't want to leave her alone. But she was truly safer aboard the shuttle than down in the caverns with him. "Hey, don't worry. I'm just a comsignal away." he said as he pinned a combadge on his chest. "If you get scared just contact me. He lifted her chin gently with his finger and leaned in to kiss her. It was one of the most tender moments they had ever shared, he did not want it to end and neither did she. But he had to move quickly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I love you, Alec. I haven't said it enough lately."

"Neither have I."

Alec materialized in the hallway of the Presidential Forum. He was right next to the wall that concealed the passage to the underground cavern. He had performed a scan of the corridors to ensure there was nobody nearby when he beamed down. Pulling his tricorder from his side he opened it and held it up against the wall. Contained within the tricorder's memory was the signal and audio cue that Jobra used to open the door. He intended to replay them in order to gain access to the cavern.

Once the signal had been recreated he replayed the recording of Jobra's words. The door opened just as it had before. Looking back on the first time he went down there he was pleased he had thought to open his tricorder before Jobra opened the door.

Stepping down the stairwell he was enveloped in darkness. There was light down at the bottom of the stairs making it unnecessary for him to activate his wrist beacon for illumination at the moment. Before reaching the bottom he exchanged the tricorder in his hand for a trusty phaser.

The same dim lamps as before shed some light on the cave, be he chose to turn on his wrist beacon. He was following the map his tricorder created when he perused the caves the first time, it led him shortly to the spot where he discovered the bodies of Sha'Gra's guards. After replacing the map with a standard scanning display he took the opportunity to scan the area. He detected no biosigns, but he did detect traces of cellular residue in the dirt. Closer examination revealed it be Vesuvian. He surmised it was a result of their phaser wounds.

He stepped into the next chamber, back to where the tragedy occurred. Anger swelled from within. He had been used in this room. Used to kill, used to further someone's agenda, and used to damage the name of the Federation.

Floodlights filled the once dark cavern, Looking closer at the walls he he saw what he believed to be raw, unrefined dilithium. He had been unable to see it before because of the lack of good light.

Without even noticing it he had his tricorder open and was scanning the area. Apparently he wanted this over with more than he realized. As before there were no biosigns. This scan differed in that there were dilithium signatures present. A vein of ore was most likely running through the cave. More mysteriously, there were no traces of cellular residue. He checked again to be sure, but once more there was nothing. There should have been some kind of genetic material in the dirt.

A phaser blast of level 7 was sufficient enough to cause a significant amount of cellular residue to settle in the immediate vicinity. But there was nothing, not even a single DNA molecule. The only reasonable explanation was that the investigators were meticulous enough to have collected every piece of genetic material for evidence. But if that were the case why would they not do the same for the guards? Unless there was something they wanted to hide.

He closed his tricorder in frustration and stared ahead at the rock face. What the hell was going on? Just when he thought he was close to the answer, another question was asked, increasing the mystery.

The rock face, something was wrong with it. Rather more precisely, nothing was wrong with it. He shined his wrist beacon on the stone wall. A phaser blast of the intensity that killed Sha'Gra would have punched through her body and continued until it was stopped by something of sufficient density. The rock face should have suffered some degree of visible damage. But there was no heat scarring anywhere to be seen.

Alec approached the rock face with his tricorder once again open. The readings matched with the surrounding rock, nothing was out of the ordinary according to his sensor device. But as he knew first hand, sensors could be lied to.

The next course was fairly obvious. He put his tricorder back in its holster and reached out to touch the rock face.

Apparently he wasn't the only one using a hologram for deception. His hand passed through the rock face. What was on the other side he could only assume. Phaser now in hand, he took a breath and stepped through.

Rene felt alone. It was the worst feeling possible, and she wanted it to go away. _Hurry up, Alec. What's taking you so long?_ She was tempted to open the comline and talk to him, but he had enough to think over at the moment without his fraidy cat wife adding more wood to the fire.

She leaned back and tried to relax, breathing in and out in an attempt to slow her heartrate. It was starting to work until the tactical sensors registered something. Her heartrate jumped once more. She watched the display closely. Whatever was there was gone now. "Computer, what just appeared on the sensors?"

"_Sensors detected a momentary increase in chronitons."_

That was nothing but gibberish to her, but it didn't sound good whatever it was. "What can do that?"

"_The most likely source is a cloaked vessel."_

"Alec!" Rene frantically accessed the communications system. He'd have no way of knowing until it was too late. "Rene to Alec! Come in!" There was no response. "Oh please, God. No."

Concealed behind the fake rock face was the exact opposite of another cavern. There were several computer consoles in the small manmade chamber. "What the hell?" He looked around the room. It almost looked like an observation post for a duck blind mission. It wasn't Federation technology, he could tell that much.

The computer monitors were all blank. He approached the nearest console and touched the panel to activate it. All the monitors in the room came to life. On each and every one there was the same image. A fierce avian set against a black background, green on the left and blue on the right, with wings spread, and an orb gripped in each talon. Every officer in Starfleet had come to know that insignia, and know it well. It was the insignia of the Romulan Star Empire. The two orbs represented the twin worlds in the Romulan system, Romulus and Remus.

He glanced around the room once again. On the wall opposite the hologram was a scorch mark. His phaser had found its mark by the looks of it. The wall wasn't important, he turned his attention back the monitor. During the war, when ties with the Romulans were less tense, he took the opportunity to study their language. As a result he had learned to read their text to a certain degree. He wouldn't be writing soliloquies in Romulan anytime soon, but he could certainly find his way around a computer. He was thankful for that particular skill now. It was his hope to use it to find out what the Romulans were up to.

It took him a minute to refresh his memory, but once he did he went through the directory with ease. He believed that his best shot was to call up whatever data was in use before the terminals were shut down. Accessing the active memory didn't take long. And while a fair amount of the information contained within was fairly mundane, there was one part that interested him.

He just skimmed the file for important words, the sooner he knew what was going on the better. He found something soon. Four words in particular caught him: Ty'brel, Farius Prime, and eliminate.

Ty'brel was still alive. For two years he had been missing, and now he appeared to have been so of his own volition. Something had driven the man to leaving his life behind without telling a single person. There were only so many things that could make someone abandon their life so abruptly and the most obvious stuck out in Alec's mind: Fear for one's life. Ty'brel must have discovered something so frightening that he took refuge in one of the most dangerous sectors of the quadrant.

Whatever the man knew, it was enough for the Romulans to want him dead, which was enough for Alec to want him alive.

Although it wasn't exactly what Alec had been looking for, he'd take it. If there was a chance that this man could help him clear his name he'd have to get to him before the Romulans did.

He was done here. There was more in the file but he believed he had enough. As soon as he deactivated the console he ran back through the hologram.

"_Alec! If you can hear me please answer!"_

Rene's frantic cries came from his combadge. But that was not why he stopped in his tracks. It was because of the two Klingon warriors standing before him, bat'leths at the ready. _My luck cannot be that bad. Level three._


	12. Cavern

Chapter 12

Cavern

Alec could see the look of murderous rage in the Klingons' eyes, shimmering like a distant star on a crystal clear night. It was even more vibrant than the light glistening on their bat'leths. He had faced Klingons before but they were never real ones. This was no holodeck simulation. The holodeck could simulate their strength and speed, but it could in no way recreate the blood lust and instinct that had evolved for millennia.

He knew a battle was imminent. Both warriors before him were growling in anticipation of their victory. There was no reasoning with them, this was to the death.

Without warning, both Klingons released a war cry and ran towards him with their bat'leths at the ready. Alec drew his katana and held his ground. _Wish you were here, James._ The first Klingon's attack came as fast as a phaser beam. He came directly at Alec head and swung horizontally, a move that was parried immediately by Alec's quick reflexes. Had he not been as strong and as well trained as he was he would have been knocked down by the kinetic energy in play. The echo of the blades clashing was almost deafening in the cave. Alec placed his open palm midway on the back of his sword blade and pushed as hard as he could. The unexpected show of strength surprised the angry, overconfident Klingon and he was thrown off balance as a result.

If his training instructor had been witness to the exchange, Alec would have been told to do one hundred pushups. The correct maneuver would have been to deflect the blade rather than to push it away, but he wanted the warrior to know what he was up against. Plus a good dose of risk gets the adrenaline going.

The presence of the other Klingon was not lost on Alec and he ducked to avoid a bat'leth swing. _That was close, I think I lost a few hairs._ Immediately he held his sword length wise over his head, the bat'leth stopped within six inches of his head. With all his strength he pushed with his legs. Immediately standing upright he landed a well placed kick to the Klingon's stomach, winding him. Hearing the other Klingon come up behind him he had no time to turn and face him. With no other course of action available, and both hands holding his katana, he swung it over his head so it was parallel to his spine. The clang of metal on metal told him he anticipated well. Based on the pressure against him he threw a kick backward where he believed his opponent's knee was. Alec heard a crack and the pressure eased.

He turned as quick as he could to face the Klingon, whose face was now filled with pain as well as rage. The former was draining quickly, being replaced by the latter. The Klingon's endorphins were numbing the pain. But Alec could see the Klingon was not the fighting machine he had been moments ago. From his own experience he knew that pain infuriated one further. If anything, the Klingon was even more dangerous now, and there was still the other Klingon to take care of too.

Using the Klingon's weakened condition to his advantage, Alec went on the offensive. He let out a kiyai and jumped at the Klingon, swinging his katana down in an arc. The only move the unsuspecting warrior could respond with was one Alec had used not long before, he gripped his bat'leth by the outer handles and held it upwards over his head as a shield.

It was an action that Alec was hoping for. His katana cut through the curved blade and continued through the center handle, dissecting the bat'leth.

Alec could have continued the arc and dissected the Klingon himself - which the Klingon knew - but he stopped just shy of his enemy's cranial ridges. This mercy which robbed him of an honorable death further enraged the Klingon. He dropped the broken pieces of his weapon and drew the d'k tahg dagger from his side, slicing it across Alec's midsection in such an incredibly swift and fluid motion that Alec was unable to fully react in time. Jumping backwards, he felt a searing pain in his gut and the trickle of blood. Keeping his sword drawn, he glanced down for a split second. A long lengthwise cut lay across his abdomen. _Good thing I moved when I did, any deeper..._

The Klingon had drawn first blood, the full on killer instinct returned to his eyes. He had taken Alec's sparing of his life as an insult, and he was going to repay it with unswerving vengeance. Alec could almost picture liquid fire flowing through his enemy's veins, his heart a small sun. They stood facing each other, their eyes locked. Each was trying to anticipate the other's next move, but neither gave any indication.

Alec's opponent acted first. The Klingon flung his d'k tahg quickly into the air and immediately held it once more, this time in a stabbing position. He ran towards Alec. It seemed to take forever to close the short gap between them. Alec hunched down and - ignoring the further pain it caused his gut - threw his entire weight into the Klingon's lower torso. The Klingon let out a grunt as he was winded and was sent forward over Alec by his own momentum, landing on his back.

Alec's question of the other Klingon's whereabouts was answered as he appeared running towards Alec from his left. He ran to meet the approaching warrior with what little space there was left. The Klingon's bat'leth was held high, Alec's katana was pointed down. As the gap between them was closed, Alec avoided the bat'leth with a crouch and planted his feet into the dirt, stopping himself. He allowed his momentum to pivot him on his heels until he was facing the direction in which he came. With his katana now over his head, he brought the end of the blade down across the Klingon's back. As his enemy fell forward onto the dirt, Alec could see the extent of the damage caused by his blow. There was a gash going from the top of the Klingon's shoulder blade to just above the back of his hip. Alec saw pinkish muscle inside the wound, which was bleeding profusely. He would most likely bleed to death shortly. Alec detested killing, even when he had no choice.

A roar of sorrow averted Alec's gaze to the onwatching Klingon. "Human _pahtk._" The furious warrior was slowly walking to grab the bat'leth of his fallen comrade. "That was my brother. You will drown in your own blood!"

_Oh great, like he wasn't pissed off enough._ _No matter what the outcome, I think this will be over soon._ He felt like they would have fit in perfectly in an ancient gladiator arena. He wondered if the ancients were watching him now from their celestial stands, judging his performance. _Focus Alec, focus._ Both were wounded. Both were skilled soldiers. Alec thought of what he had to lose: his family, and whatever he could salvage of his career. With the death of his brother, the Klingon bounty hunter appeared to have nothing left to lose. The Klingon had the edge.

They were circling the fallen warrior, preparing for the final clash. Alec was twisting his palms around his katana handle for traction. He wanted to wipe the sweat off his hands but he knew the second he took a hand away, the Klingon would strike.

They charged towards each other as quickly as their wounds allowed them. Alec's gut was on fire, he could only imagine what the Klingon was feeling. _Not much probably, these guys are built for war._ He clenched his jaw so hard he swore his teeth would shatter. As he swung his katana up to meet the Klingon's dropping blade he saw his opportunity to strike. As the blades met at shoulder level, Alec released his right palm from the handle and drove a fist into the Klingon's gut with all the strength he could muster. As the Klingon's head bowed, Alec raised his arm and swung it as if to throw a punch to his enemy's head, but instead he struck the Klingon in the jaw with his elbow. He continued the horizontal arc and grabbed the handle of his katana once more. Before the Klingon could reorient himself, with full force Alec thrust the butt of his sword handle into the temple of his opponent.

The fight was over, Alec stood over the Klingon with the tip of his blade at his throat. If he tried to get up it would mean certain death. Such a move would be suicide, which was unacceptable to any Klingon warrior that believed themselves to be honourable.

The Klingon's eyes opened and he saw the sword at his neck. A steady look of indifference floated in them. "Strike, human. Send me to Sto Vo Kor as you did my brother."

Alec's arms were as steady as those of a statue, his stare did not falter. "I despise killing, bounty hunter. Even though he left me no choice, I regret having to take your brother's life."

"If you're as honorable as your reputation says you are, you will send me to the death I deserve."

_You took money to kill me! Where's the honor?_ Alec wanted to yell those words at the Klingon, but he retained his composure. "The death you deserve is to be thrown out of an airlock. But luckily for you I'm not that cruel." Alec drew the phaser from his side and fired it at the Klingon's chest. "Enjoy your nap, warrior."

Lying in the dirt next to the unconscious Klingon was a small brown device. Alec knelt down to pick it up, and wished he had done so more slowly. It was the Klingon's communicator, probably jarred loose when he fell. It occurred to Alec that the Klingon wouldn't stop until he found him. Moreso now for vengeance rather than the bounty.

He had to think quickly, every second mattered. The only thing he could think of was to take out the Bird of Prey. Take out the ship and they can't come after you. It wouldn't be through ship to ship combat. The Travioli was no match for the Bird of Prey. He could give an ordinary B'rel-Class run for its money but not this upgraded one. The sensors on the Travioli couldn't detect a ship through its cloak anyway. And as persuasive as he was, he doubted he could convince whoever was on board the Bird Of Prey to activate the auto destruct system.

An idea hit him. He'd have to do his best imitation of an angry Klingon, but if he could pull it off he'd have one less ship after him. He taped his combadge, Rene had waited too long to hear his voice. "Rene, I'm here. I'm okay."

"_Where the hell have you been, you jerk?!"_ Her voice exploded out of his combadge. He swore he could almost feel the sound vibration on his chest. _"You had me so worried."_

"I found a hidden room down here, it must have been blocking your transmissions. I have two new Klingon friends too."

"_I'm beaming you up right now."_

"Hold on a minute, beautiful. There's something I need to do first."

"_Do it fast."_

"Of course, I need your help though." After guiding Rene through the procedure, he had her beam down a photon torpedo to the cavern. "This should do nicely." he said as he accessed the manual detonation controls.

"_I hope you know what you're doing."_

"Come on, dear. It's me."

"_That's what I'm afraid of."_

"Give me a little credit."

The manual detonation had been set. Once activated the torpedo would explode in sixty seconds. Walking over to the still unconscious Klingon, he removed the emergency transport activator from his upper arm. When pressed, the transporter on board the Bird of Prey would automatically beam up whatever it was attached to. He placed it on the torpedo.

Now came the hard part. Convincing those aboard the Bird of Prey he was one of the brothers.

Taking into account bounty hunters were typically greedy and wanted to keep as much money as possible, he estimated the minimum crewload for operating a B'rel-Class Bird of Prey to be six Klingons. Essential members were a commanding officer, a gunner, an engineer, a medic, a pilot, and a communications operator. The transporter was one of the more straightforward to use systems on a starship, therefore a solitary person for that position was unnecessary.

With the saving money factor once again coming into play, the two brothers would each fill positions. The oldest brother would likely take command and one subsequent position. Given a Klingon's thirst for destruction it was probably gunner. The younger brother, would most likely take the helm, that way he and his brother could more closely share in the destruction of prey. That cut the numbers in half, leaving at least three on board. Alec added one more Klingon to the equation, a backup officer with basic training in every area in case one of them was injured.

Before anything else, Alec dragged the two bodies behind the holographic wall one at a time and shot out each of the lights with his phaser. Four against one would be interesting to say the least. He held the communicator up to his mouth and took a breath. His voice deepened, he did his best impersonation of a Klingon. "Get down here, now!"

"_Sir, what is going on?"_ answered a mean sounding Klingon.

"Enough talk! I want everyone down here immediately!"

"_But, sir, you outnumbered him two to one. How could you not kill him?"_

"You dare question me? You insolent _tobah!_" He thought the insult was a nice touch. Typically, Klingon commanders did not respond very well to their orders being questioned. "If you and the rest of the men aren't down here immediately I'll give your share to the others." he snarled.

"_Right away, sir. Did you say all the men? Who will transport us back to the ship?"_

"Question me again and your hide will line the floor of my cabin."

"_Yes, sir. We'll be down immediately."_

Alec took cover in the darkest corner. Despite the low lighting in the stone corridor it might still be enough for a young, in his prime Klingon to see him. He made sure to remain absolutely still. Klingons had excellent visual acuity and hearing, he didn't want to take the chance of being seen or heard.

Overall he was pleased with his temporary stint as a Klingon, although he felt if he had deepened his voice more he would have done a more convincing job.

A slight buzz in the center of the cavern was followed by the appearance of four glowing orange orbs in mid-air. The orbs quickly expanded into full bodied humanoid forms. The one on the left spoke in his native tongue to the others. He was probably the ranking officer.

The same Klingon then paused and sniffed the air. "I smell blood." He said as he reached to his side for his disruptor.

Alec fired a shot from his phaser, sending the Klingon stunned to the ground. "I wouldn't if I were you." he said as the others were reaching for theirs. "There's a phaser trained on each of you." He hoped they wouldn't call his bluff. "And they're just waiting for an order from me."

"Where are our captain and first officer?" asked the center Klingon, his voice alive from contempt.

Alec kept his phaser arm stretched out. "Your captain is sleeping around here somewhere. And his brother, well, he came down with a slight case of death."

"Human _pahtk_." said the left Klingon.

"You know," Alec fired his phaser again. This time at the Klingon that insulted him. "That's the second time I've been called that in the past twenty minutes, and I don't think I like it."

"You're a fool," said the Klingon on the right. "He will not rest until he has your head hanging on the bulkhead."

"I don't want to sound childish here, but they started it." Alec turned on his wrist beacon and pointed it at the Klingons. They covered their eyes from the brightness. He then shined it solely at the one on the left. "You there."

"What?" he said defiantly.

"See that torpedo there? And the open panel on top? Press the flashing button."

"I will not take part in my own destruction, even if it means yours as well."

"If I wanted you dead I would have killed you the moment you materialized. And if I wanted to _be_ killed I would have let your friends do it." He watched as the Klingon just stood there. He fired his phaser at the man's feet, sending dirt into the air. "Just because I don't want to kill you, doesn't mean I wont. Now, I'm in kind of a hurry here."

"On my father's blade, you will-"

"Drown in my own blood. Yeah, yeah. You Klingon's need to get some new clichés. The button, press it." Alec watched as the growling Klingon complied. He then pointed his beacon to the immediate left of the open panel. "See that emergency transport unit? Activate it."

"But our ship? How will we ever leave this planet?"

"Ask the Vesuvians for help. It's the ship or you, that thing can't be shut off now." His patience was wearing thin, but it wasn't tested again. The Klingon activated the emergency transport unit and in seconds it disappeared in orange light, on its way to the heavens. "Thank you." He fired his phaser and hit the Klingon in the chest.

"What are you going to do with me, human?" asked the remaining Klingon.

"I have just one question. How'd you find me?"

"We passed your pathetic ship on our way to that Cardassian space station. Once we projected your course it didn't take much reasoning to realize it was you."

"I'm hurt." said Alec, feigning insult. "At least I have my pathetic ship to go back to. Alec to Travioli, energize." In a few short seconds he was safely aboard the shuttle. Stepping out of the small transported he walked through the door to his right, entering the cockpit. "Did I miss it?"

"Miss what?"

An explosion erupted out in space, catching their eyes. It expanded outward and enveloped the now uncloaked Bird of Prey. The ship shuddered lightly as the shockwave reached them.

"That's what you wanted the torpedo for."

"You know me too well." said Alec as he quickly headed for the helm. It was imperative they broke orbit as soon as possible and got out of the system.

"Where are we going in such a hurry?"

"We have to get out of here now. The Enterprise will match that debris our there with the ship that was after me. After that, it won't take them long to figure out who we really are. I'd just as soon rather not be here when they do."

He set a course for Farius Prime. It would take three days at maximum warp to get there. Romulan ships had a higher maximum velocity than his shuttle but in order to maintain the full advantages of their cloak they would have to reduce their speed to warp 8. The elimination order was given yesterday, giving the Romulans a twenty four hour head start. By leaving now the Travioli would get there with a berth of an hour at most.

The Romulan elimination force was not the only danger. Alec recognized Farius Prime as a planet in space controlled by the Orion Syndicate, a criminal organization created by the Orion race. By the 22nd century, they had illegitimately assumed the powers of government. By the 24th century it was it was an organized crime cartel, the equivalent of an interstellar mafia. The Syndicate from its inception included among its principle activities smuggling, piracy, slave trading, and assassination.

Alec probably initiated the warp pulse sooner than he should have but he wanted to get to Farius Prime as soon as possible. The jolt they felt was the gravity of Vesuvia causing a slight imbalance in the warp field. It was risky, but he still hadn't crossed the line according to James: Don't do anything he wouldn't do. And that list wasn't very long. The only things Alec had ever heard James say not to do were 'never have relations with a Benzite' and 'thrusters only in an asteroid field.'

Captain Picard ordered a yellow alert until the explosion in orbit of Vesuvia could be explained. Shields were up but weapons wouldn't be brought online until there was a more immediate threat. Initial speculation was that it was a cloaked Romulan ship, but the detected metals didn't conform with the typical specs. After gathering more sensor data, Edwards was able to extrapolate the ship design as that of a B'rel-Class Bird of Prey. They concluded that it was the ship that had gone after Alec.

"Now that we know what it was," said Picard in his command chair. "We just need to know what it was destroyed it."

"I detected no weapons fire before the explosion." said Edwards. "From what my scans tell me, it was internal."

"Warp core breach?" asked Riker.

"That would be the most logical assumption, but I don't think so. I'm also picking up trace elements of materials used in a Starfleet photon torpedo."

Counselor Troi stepped hurriedly onto the bridge and immediately accessed her console as she was sitting down. Riker took particular notice to her demeanor. "What's wrong, Deanna?"

"That ship that just went into warp, how many people were on board?"

"Two," said Edwards. "A Bajoran and a Trill."

"That's not right." said Troi. "I could have sworn I felt Alec and Rene."

"Are you sure?" asked Picard.

"I'm positive."

"Then that _was_ them in the cargo runner." said Riker. "They were under our noses the whole time."

Picard now wished he had gone with his gut. He could tell himself that it wasn't his fault, that they had no conclusive proof, but in the end it meant nothing to him because deep down he knew. This was going to gnaw at him for awhile. "Mr. Data, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me it is impossible to project their course."

"It is not, Captain. I have already done so. Based on their heading, they are on a direct course for Farius Prime."

"Not good." said Edwards.

"Why?" asked McClary.

"That planet is a hot spot for Orion Syndicate activity." said Riker gravely. "If word of the bounty on his head has reached that far he can expect every ruthless cutthroat within ten sectors to come after him."

"From past experience," said Data. "I believe Commander Wilson would say 'bring it on.'"

"We know where he's going, but why? He wouldn't head into Orion territory unless he had a damn good reason."

"Maybe we'll have the answer to that question after we answer another, Number One." said Picard. "For the time being we should concentrate on finding out what he was doing back here. Mr. Data, were both lifesigns aboard the Shran for the duration of the orbit?"

"Checking. Negative, Captain. The Bajoran lifesign beamed down to the surface for approximately fifteen minutes."

"I think it's safe to assume that's Alec." said Riker.

"I would say so. Mr. Data, run a scan of the underground caverns."

"Aye, Captain." Luckily for them the Vesuvians hadn't reactivated the dampening field around the caverns. It took them less than a minute to sweep the underground. During which he detected four non-Vesuvian lifeforms. "Sir, there are four Klingons beneath the surface. They are all within close proximity of each other and are collected in the vicinity of where President Sha'Gra was killed. Three of them are unconscious."

There were answers down there, and Picard intended to get them. "Mr. Edwards, inform Vesuvian security of the situation. Tell them we're sending an away team."

"Aye, sir. Message sent."

"Number One."

"Right away, Captain." said Riker, rising from his chair on his way to the turbolift. "Dr. Crusher, please proceed to transporter room two."

"_On my way, Will."_

"John, Data, Ensign McClary."

McClary turned her chair, caught by surprise. "Sir?" she inquired as she watched her fellow officers head to join Riker.

Riker grinned. He had been hoping for such a response. "You've been wanting some excitement. And here it is."

"Yes, sir." She said as she stood, and almost giddily, made her way to the turbolift.

When the away team materialized in the underground cavern they had to switch on their wrist beacons immediately. Crusher opened her medical tricorder and knelt down towards the nearest Klingon. "This Klingon was hit by a phaser on stun. I imagine the others were too."

"What was he doing back down here?" asked Edwards as he walked around the cavern.

"I can't see anything of interest down here." said McClary. "Except for the Klingons."

"Perhaps a search of the adjoining passageways will reveal some clue to his intentions." said Data.

"Good idea." said Riker as he took a peek around the corner of the nearest passageway. He could have sworn he heard breathing from in front of him, but he shrugged it off as an echo from the unconscious Klingons behind him. "John, McClary, stay here with Dr. Crusher. Data, you're with me."

McClary watched as Riker and Data left down the corridor at the northern end of the cavern. This was her first away mission, and it was a long time coming. She was a believer in the old saying that 'good things come to those who wait.' And she wasn't sure she could wait any longer.

One of the first things that caught her eye as she shone her light around the cavern were the reflective crystals embedded throughout the rock face. They were beautiful.

Edwards had a bad feeling and he couldn't lay it to rest. There was something amiss down here and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

There was a bit of humor to the situation though. Alec had taken out every Klingon that had come after him and destroyed their ship. Surely if he could take care of a group of Klingons than he could handle the single hunter that was on the Nausicaan raider with relative ease, if he hadn't already.

He saw that the Klingon Dr. Crusher was currently examining was missing the disruptor that should be in the side holster. It was located a meter away in the dirt. The other two appeared to not even get a chance to reach for their weapons. And the fourth Klingon...Where was the fourth Klingon? As he recalled, Data had said there were four Klingons, three of which were unconscious, all nearby to each other. If that was so, then were was he? "Doctor, Justine, stay alert."

He heard no response from either of them. When he turned he was aghast to see Crusher down on the ground and McClary being held from behind by a Klingon, a d'k tahg dagger at her throat.

Riker and Data had found nothing so far. Their search of the passageway only turned up more passageways. "I don't think we're going to find anything this way, Data."

"I reached the same conclusion, Commander."

"When we reach the next fork we'll turn back." Riker took a few more steps and stepped when he heard an echo of commotion come from behind. "Damnit! There were only three Klingons in there."

The warmness of the cave made the blade against her neck feel a lot colder than it probably was. McClary was breathing as shallow as she could in an attempt to relieve all possible pressure between the knife and her neck. She was in no hurry to have her throat slashed this day. The smell of the Klingon's breath was gag-inducing, making it harder for her to control her breathing. One cough and it could all be over. It might be up to her alone to act. But she was confident in her Red Squad training to get her through this.

She couldn't believe he had snuck up behind her like that. True, it had been an experienced Klingon warrior that had done so but it was still a blow to her pride that he had been able to do so with such relative ease. She should have at least smelled him coming up behind her.

"Just take it easy." said Edwards calmly. "It doesn't have to go this way. Are you okay, Justine?" He saw her give a barely noticeable nod.

"Enough! Put your weapon down." said the Klingon as he tightened his grip around her. "You will give me a shuttlecraft and guarantee me safe passage out of this system."

Edwards slowly knelt down to the ground and released his phaser into the dirt. "That's not my call."

"Her blood will be on your hands if you do not do as I say."

Hostage negotiating was hard enough when he trained for it in holographic situations. This would be the first time he used what he learned in the field. The horrible truth he had been taught was that even when you go completely by the book, tragedies still happen sometimes.

"Whoa, whoa. I want to help you out. I do. But you can't ask me for something that's not within my power to give."

"Then get in contact with someone who can."

"That would be me." said a voice emanating around the corner behind Edwards. It was Riker, his shadow cast in the cavern. Data was next to him. "I'm Commander William Riker of the Federation starship Enterprise."

"Drop your weapons."

"Data." said Riker, urging the android to do the same. "What is it you want?"

"I want a shuttle, and safe passage out of this system."

"I can do that. But before I do, I'd like to ask that you release her."

"I'm no fool, human."

"Of course not, I'm just asking for a show of good faith."

"Good faith means nothing in my trade."

Riker stepped slowly towards them. His hands were held out, palms tilted down, showing he meant no harm. He caught a glance of McClary's face. Even with the limited light he was able to see the look in her eyes. She was calm. It came as a relief to him that Alec was not here to see this. It served as a reminder of James' death. Riker would do anything to save the young lieutenant today. He did not want the death of another fellow officer on his conscience. "Then I'm going to ask that you take me as a hostage instead."

"Whenever someone says that, it means they're more concerned for the lives of those in danger than their own. As long as I have her, you're more likely to do what I say." After a few seconds of silence, the Klingon jerked her head back and held the blade tighter against her skin. "Shuttle! Now! Or her blood will stain the walls of this cave."

_This is going nowhere._ McClary was tired of all the useless talking. She felt compelled to act. Closing her eyes in preparation for the worst, she jerked her left arm free and thrust her elbow into the gut of her would be captor. The increase in malodorous breath told her she winded him. She leaned forward slightly in order to get the angle to throw her elbow upward into his head. Turning as quickly as she could she threw her leg forward and brought her foot upward right between his legs.

The Klingon released the dagger and was on his knees before it hit the ground. His loud groans of agony echoed throughout the numerous corridors.

Edwards quickly rushed to her side to see if she was okay. There was no mistaking the look of absolute scorn and contempt on her face. It was one which confirmed that there is no comparison to the intensity which came from an angry woman.

Riker approached them after he retrieved his phaser. "They don't teach that in Red Squad, do they?" he asked of her unorthodox - at least by Starfleet standards - defense technique.

"Self taught" she said as she kicked the dagger across the cave.

"It's my fault, sir." said Edwards. "I turned my back for a minute and before I knew it, he had her."

Riker knelt down to check on Crusher. She was bleeding from the forehead but was breathing normally and actually appeared close to consciousness. "Beverly looks okay. Don't blame yourself, John. He's a professional. Riker to Enterprise, one to beam-"

"I'm fine." said Crusher as she stood up with the help of Riker. "Just a little woozy."

He turned to the Klingon, who was still groaning in pain. "There were six on board your ship before, now there's only four of you. Where are the other two?"

"Uuuuuggggh."

McClary picked up her phaser and put it in the holster. "I think that's Klingon for 'ow, my-'"

"Lieutenant." Riker grinned. Not many women had the unique ability to surprise him. "That's not very lady like."

"I grew up with five older brothers, sir. I picked up a few things."

"I imagine you would." Riker once again put his attention on the Klingon, whose groaning had subsided. "Are you ready to talk?"

The Klingon looked up, teeth bared and fire in his eyes. "Yes."

"Good. Now, there were six-"

"I heard you the first time, human. Our captain and his brother beamed down here to capture that fugitive _pahtk._ Whether he killed them or not is not known to me. He lured us down here pretending to be our captain and them beamed a torpedo up to our ship."

"That explains the explosion." said Edwards with a grin. "But where are the other Klingons? Could he have taken them with him?"

"There were no Klingon lifesigns aboard the shuttle when it left orbit." said Data. "They are here."

"How much time passed between the time your captain beamed down and the time you received your orders?"

The Klingon said nothing. He just sat there, growling quietly. McClary took a step towards him, which sparked his cooperation. "Five, maybe six minutes."

"Not much time to carry two Klingons somewhere." said Riker.

"I did not see any indented footprints cause by an increase in weight." said Data. "Nor did I see any displacement in the dirt cause by dragging. However, Commander Wilson has been known to cover his tracks in the past."

"Yes, but how well did he cover them this ti-"

A low groan emanated from somewhere nearby. Phasers were drawn by all except McClary, who kept her gaze on the Klingon. The source of the groan couldn't be seen, even after all corners of the cavern had been illuminated.

Riker looked back at the group, puzzled. "What the hell?"

Dr. Crusher opened her medical tricorder. It's scanners were more sensitive to certain things than a normal tricorder, there was a possibility it could detect something that Data's missed. Results were immediate. "I'm detecting human and Klingon DNA. It's blood." She held her tricorder closer to the ground where the DNA was collected. "The trail leads to that rock face over there. Then it stops."

Riker believed he knew what was going on. He reached down and picked up a rock that lay next to his foot. With an underhanded swing he threw it towards the rock face. The wall absorbed it and they heard a clatter on an unseen surface. "The plot thickens."


	13. Discovery

Chapter 13

Discovery

The away team found two Klingons behind the rock face. One was dead from injuries sustained, the other was just reaching consciousness. After running a scan Dr. Crusher learned the extent of his injuries. He had a dislocated right patella, and a concussion from a heavy blow to the head. He was also very angry over the death of his brother. Edwards wasn't taking his eyes off of him for a second.

After the Klingons were beamed back aboard the Enterprise, the away team took to examining the room. The technology was clearly Romulan in origin, although its purpose in the cavern could not be determined without further investigation.

The exuberance from their discovery was short lived however. Bru'Dan showed up with several guards telling them to leave immediately and to stay out of Vesuvian affairs. He would discover the purpose behind the apparent Romulan espionage without their interference.

Out of his jurisdiction, Riker reluctantly had the away team beam back up to the ship. All they had to show for it was what little tricorder data they had brought back with them.

Crusher's analysis showed that the amount of human blood discovered suggested that not only was the DNA a positive match with Alec's, but that his wound was also not life threatening. It appeared he had given worse than he had taken.

Before they were vacated from the room, Edwards used his tricorder to upload whatever file Alec had accessed. It was in Romulan, but he hoped the computer could translate enough to clue them in to why Alec had left for such a dangerous region of space.

After an hour of going over the security roster he checked on the progress of the translation. Although a good portion had been decoded, there was still one section the computer was still working on. Most of what was contained within was uninteresting and immaterial, however there was one section that raised a yellow alert in his head. Instead of waiting for the few minutes the computer required to complete the process, he decided to share what he had with the senior staff.

"What did you find, Mr. Edwards?" asked Picard. The purpose of the room could ultimately lead to the full intentions of the Romulans. Whatever they were up to did not strike him as good for the rest of the quadrant.

"There's still one section the computer is working on and I programmed it to send the file here when it's done, but there was one interesting piece in the file so far: A termination order." He picked up a padd that lay next to his hand and activated it. "It reads as follows: 'Ty'brel located on Farius Prime. The secrets he holds must never be divulged. Eliminate immediately.' The order was untraceable."

"Ty'brel?" said Riker. "Sha'Gra's predecessor."

"Looks like he found out something that he wasn't supposed to." said Edwards

"Commander Wilson must be under the impression that whatever information Ty'brel holds will prove his innocence." said Data.

"Farius Prime isn't exactly a friendly place." said Riker. "I'm surprised Ty'brel has survived this long. Although it was smart of him to go there. If you don't want your enemies to find you, go where they're unwilling to look. It's just poor luck that he was found. Alec's his only hope."

Picard was relieved to learn his friend Ty'brel was still alive and took greater relief knowing that Alec was on his way to save him. "Since it has been demonstrated that communications are being monitored this won't be included in my report to Admiral Nechayev. Commander Wilson doesn't need any further hindrances such as another bounty hunter. With the measures he has taken to conceal himself I think it is safe to assume that the element of surprise is on his side."

Enthusiastic beeping emanated from the wall monitor behind Picard followed by an announcement from the computer. _"Translation complete."_

"On screen, complete." said Edwards as he left his chair for the monitor. As he read the file the pit of his stomach tightened and his heart began to race. "Captain, we may have a problem."

Picard sat at attention. "What does it say, Lieutenant?"

Edwards replied a mere moment before a second prodding from Picard. "'Initial testing has been completed. Prototype has been deployed. It will reach the Neutral Zone in two days."

"Prototype for what?" asked Riker, who, like everyone else, now took the meeting in a far more serious manner.

"It doesn't go into further detail." said Edwards grimly, but the next thing he read brightened his spirits. "But, it does have coordinates."

"Good," mused Riker. "Because there's a _lot_ of Neutral Zone."

"Even if they're cloaked," commented Troi. "Without the proper access codes they won't get past the gravitic sensor nets." She felt the rise in tension within the room that came with the thought of a possible Romulan invasion.

"Unless they've developed better cloaking technology." offered Riker.

"It is possible that is the prototype of which the report speaks." added Data.

"It's an ongoing game of chess." said Picard. "We develop better sensors, they develop better cloaks. With no sign of checkmate."

Edwards deactivated his monitor and returned to his chair. "We can't let the Romulans try."

"I'm open to suggestions." said Picard.

"We could send the Emissary or the Falcon to the Neutral Zone to intercept it." said Riker. "I suggest the Falcon. She's faster and more well armed."

"But if this cloak let's them pass through the gravitic sensor net, normal sensors won't detect it either." Troi was not trying to be pessimistic, she was just facing the facts.

"We can't just sit here and let the Romulans cross into our territory." said Riker, looking over at her. He always tried to maintain professionalism while on duty. When they were both on duty, she was his subordinate, not his Imzadi. "First, one ship, and before we know it, a thousand. I'd rather not give them a chance to decloak a fleet in orbit of Earth."

"Captain Anderson is a resourceful leader," began Data. "And his crew capable. Perhaps they will formulate something en route."

Picard could not think of any solution that was better than what his first officer had suggested. And there was a plus side to ordering the Falcon to the Neutral Zone: Now it was his turn to tell some starship captain that there were no other ships nearby, which seemed like something he'd heard more times than he could count.

"Make it so."

Bru'Dan was less than impressed. When the Starfleet officer had gone rogue he did not expect him to come all the way back here, let alone find the hidden Romulan command post. He cursed them for not concealing it better. Finding the room was bad enough, but a tracking of his course and a rundown of the Romulan computer revealed the Starfleet renegade was aware of Ty'brel's location. He was no doubt on his way there now to save him. If he was successful, he would ruin everything they had worked on for the past three years. That was unacceptable.

His angered stemmed from his inability to seize power. That had been the original plan. Once Sha'Gra was out of the way, he would assume control of the government, but he had been unsuccesful. The public did not want the military in charge.

Standing in the Romulan command post, he looked at the computer that had been confirmed as the one the renegade had used to gain access to the information. He cursed the Romulans once more for not wiping the active memory. True, they had no way of knowing the renegade would find his way back here, but mistakes like this could be devastating which made ignorance an invalid excuse. He himself was guilty of ignorance however. This would not even be an issue had he retained custody of the rogue. He simply wanted to play the role of a humanitarian. With a clenched fist he smashed the display.

As he was pulling bloody shards out of his hand he heard the distinct sound of a transporter behind him. Now in his presence was the female Romulan with which he had been corresponding with since before the end of Dominion War. She had the cold, calculating stare and arrogant composure that was normal for members of her race and she wore the uniform of an officer of the Romulan Guard.

But her physical appearance was unlike that of a typical Romulan. Missing was the protrusion that ran above the eyeline, which made him suspect she was not a pureblood. She possessed the pointed ears which were the trademark for the Romulan race who were themselves an ancient offshoot of the Vulcans. The feature which distinguished her the most was her hair. Every Romulan he had come across, whether they were male or female, had close cut hairstyles. Whereas hers was noticeably longer. And unlike the black hair which Romulans were known to have, hers was light yellow. What humans referred to as 'blond.'

He knew very little about her, only that her name was Sela, and she had an unwavering hate for Captain Picard and the Federation. "Mistress, I am not pleased."

"The events of the past day have been unfortunate, Bru'Dan."

"Unfortunate?! That Starfleet officer could ruin everything if he gets to Ty'brel before your elimination force. And now his people have discovered your command post. If they discover what we are up to, all is lost. You promised me the destruction of the Federation."

"And you shall have it. Even if Picard discovers what is happening, it is too far along for him to be able to stop us. With initial tests complete we will soon move to wide scale usage. When this is over, and I have taken my place as empress of the Alpha Quadrant, your name will be forever remembered as one of those that changed the face of the galaxy."

The chance to be a figurehead in not only the history of his but all known worlds appealed to him more than he thought possible. He would be a fool not to take it. "The one responsible for this debacle must be dealt with."

"I agree." said Sela. If Bru'Dan had not been aware of her nature he would have been calmed by her soft voice, but it was instead unnerving. She held her right arm out across her chest and with her left touched a device on her wrist. "Now."

Another figure materialized in the room. It was a Romulan male, on his knees and hands bound behind his back. His eyes were swollen shut and he was bleeding green from his mouth. He appeared to have been beaten severely. There was only one possibility as to who he was. He was the one who didn't purge the active memory before leaving the command post. Punishment had already been handed out,

"So, Ranak." said Sela as she approached the bruised and bleeding man. "Have you learned from your mistake?"

A low groan sounded from his mouth before he spoke. "Yesssssssssss." he slurred.

Sela moved closer. "And you'll never do anything like that again?"

His body swayed slightly as he knelt there. The man was barely conscious. But the side to side shaking of his head showed that he understood.

"Good." Sela turned back and stood next to Bru'Dan. She reached to her side and pulled her disruptor from its holster, handing it to the Vesuvian guard. "Kill him."

Bru'Dan looked wide eyed at the weapon being offered to him. He had never taken a person's life before. He'd thought about it, he'd even made a few threats in his day, but he had never gone through with any of them.

He took the weapon from her. It was heavier than it looked. The Romulan disruptor was one of the most feared particle weapons known. It was supposed to be incredibly painful. However, how could anyone know personally? The person that it was used on would be vaporized leaving nobody alive to describe it. Although, how could it be anything but painful? The high energy beam strikes its victim, causing a chain reaction throughout the entire body in which every cell exploded until there was nothing. It sounded painful to him.

The fact that he could not see into the eyes of Ranak made it easier to point the weapon at him. But he could not bring himself to fire.

"Do it." said Sela. "He's suffering."

His hand was straining. He thought it would be easier than this. "Does he really deserve to die for what he did?"

"Your society would benefit greatly if you instituted capitol punishment. There's a reason this is the only mistake that has occurred in three years. If people fear the final consequence of a mistake they are less likely to make one."

Bru'Dan understood what she was saying, he just didn't agree with it. "There has to be another way."

Sela sighed. Maybe she was wrong about Bru'Dan. She took the disruptor from his grip and pointed it at Ranak. It all happened so quickly that Bru'Dan was unprepared. A green beam struck Ranak in the chest. Where the beam hit was an expanding nothingness that in a split second enveloped his entire body until he was gone. There was nothing. Just empty air. Ranak made no sound.

For a moment Bru'Dan thought it was an illusion, that Ranak had never really been there in the first place. A lingering odor made him realize that it happened. It was the smell of burnt flesh.

Sela holstered her weapon and stepped in front of Bru'Dan. "If you aren't prepared to do whatever is necessary than you aren't ready to lead your world."

"If your officer hadn't made this mistake we wouldn't even be in this situation."

"Be careful where you place blame Bru'Dan." Sela's voice took a tone of which he had never heard. Ever since he first crossed paths with her, he believed she had showed him the Romulan equivalent of hospitality. She showed no such regard now. "Let us consider that if you had been successful in capturing Ty'brel three years ago this wouldn't be an issue. And it was you that chose to release the Starfleet officer. Luckily for you we have a backup plan in the event you were unable to take control of your government."

"What about the bounty hunter you brought into this? She has failed so far."

"Have faith in Tasmith. She will not fail again."

"How can you be so sure?"

"She has a genetic obligation to help destroy the Federation. Her bloodline owes a debt that must be repaid. It will not allow her to fail. I have told you this before. You're fortunate that we supplied you the homing beacon with which she is tracking him. According to Starfleet signals that we have intercepted, she escaped from Deep Space Nine. She is following him as we speak." She activated her wrist communicator once more. "This is Sela. Set a course for Farius Prime. Go to warp as soon as we're aboard."

"Why are you taking me?"

"Consider this your chance to redeem yourself. I want to meet this Starfleet officer who has caused us so much trouble."

"Alec," said Rene. "I know this thing can't go any faster, but if I stay cooped up in here any longer I'm going to scream."

"There are some pressure suits in the back." said Alec. "You can take a walk if you want. Just stay close to the hull. It gets a little bumpy outside the warp field."

They were a day away from Farius Prime and the amount of time spent on the Travioli was having a cumulative effect on Rene. She had gotten considerably irritable during the past two days. Nobody liked spending so much time in a cramped space so he chose to grin and bear it.

"Don't mess with me." she said. "I don't care if you took out four Klingons. I'll-"

"Actually, it was five, but-"

"Oh, shut up." Rene was tired, and cranky. She wasn't mad at Alec, she was mad at the situation. She was mad at those that drove Alec on this endeavor. It was hard for her to imagine the compulsion that was fueling him. He loved her as much as she loved him, maybe even more. To make him leave her it would have to be an urge so incredibly strong that it would overpower anything else. And she had only herself to blame for being there. It wasn't like he dragged her along, she chose to stowaway. "I'm sorry, Alec. I just want this to be over."

"Me too. How about we go to Risa when it's over."

"Gee, me and you on a paradise planet full of scantily clad women. Can't see anything wrong with that." The tone of her voice was dry as sand.

"I knew you'd see it my way."

"Try again."

He had the perfect idea. It was somewhere she had always wanted to go, but missions rarely brought a starship back to Earth so they hadn't had a chance to visit the tallest waterfall on the planet. "Angel Falls."

"Are you serious?"

"Am I ever not?"

"Oh, please." she said as she played along. The time to joke had passed. She wanted to discuss something that hadn't been brought up since they left Deep Space Nine. "Staying on the subject of being serious, how serious were you when you talked about taking another posting?"

"Do the words 'Rene Anne Miller, will you marry me?' give you a hint?"

The doubt was gone. But even though it was something they both wanted, she was still having second thoughts. Recent events might dictate otherwise but they had a great life aboard the Enterprise. One that she wasn't so sure she was really ready to give up. School was still a few years off for James and Sonia so an immediate decision wasn't necessary but it would spare them time in the future by discussing it now.

"Where would we go?" She wouldn't mind going back to Earth. They'd be a push of a button away from visiting her parents wherever on the planet they wound up. And she knew James and Sonia wouldn't mind seeing them more often. Her parents would finally stop berating Alec about living a dangerous life.

"I've given that some thought. I know that you, and your parents, wouldn't mind if we went back to Earth. But I was thinking of a more exotic location. What would you say to Deep Space Nine?"

"I hadn't thought of that." She rather liked the idea. It wasn't as if she were unfamiliar with the station. And she knew the senior staff fairly well already. "Do you think it'll happen?"

"Again going under the assumption that I'm not court martialed, I think I have a shot. There's a good chance that Captain Sisko will be in the market for a new chief of security. I might as well put my name in." It was the perfect location to him. They knew everyone, it was a friendly environment, and the Romulan border wasn't nearby so a front-line confrontation was unlikely. Rene could start an arboretum using some of the unused adjoining storage areas. An added bonus was that Bajor would welcome the help of a good botanist. And there was one more habitable planet in the system, Bajor VIII, and several habitable moons to choose from if there was a lack of projects on Bajor itself.

It would prove an interesting assignment for him as well. It would not be an easy one as evidenced by the number of crime reports he read but he loved a challenge. He knew that by not being a changeling he would not be as effective as the security chief that preceded Jones, Constable Odo, but he would do everything he could to keep the station safe for everyone aboard it.

Another dividend was that there was an abundance of children on the station. The majority being made up of human and Bajoran. The school run by Keiko O'Brien was taken over by a capable and well liked woman so schooling would not be an issue.

Rene and Alec spent the rest of the evening cuddling in one of the small bunks. They passed the time by going from topic to topic such as their younger years, the early days of their marriage, funny things the twins have done, and the hijinx the two of them got into with James Moore.

He confided in her about the incident with Sha'Gra in the cave. Until then she had not received a full account of what had happened. She, like everyone before her, told him that he did the right thing in firing.

The subject she had difficulty in getting him to talk about was his quarrel with Tasmith in the holosuite. She was only trying to help. By getting him to open up he'd be able to resolve the issue. That is why he relented. "I was using my meditation program." he began. "I heard the doors open behind me. For a minute I thought it was you."

"What made you realize it wasn't?"

"She didn't smell like you. I just wish I had known a few seconds earlier before she started-" he stopped himself. _Uh oh, dangerous ground._

"Before she started what?" Rene didn't miss a beat. It wasn't often she didn't pick up on something.

He saw the look on her face and knew she wasn't going to let it go. She never let anything go. He didn't want to keep it from her for fear of her questioning his fidelity. He wanted to keep it from her because he feared what she would try if she ever came face to face with Tasmith. "Before she...uh...started kissing my neck."

"I hope that's all she did."

Anger at the Klingon/Vulcan bounty hunter boiled inside Rene. This killer had laid her hands on Alec in a sensual way and that was a no-no. What disturbed her further was the background of her genealogy. Klingon females were widely known for their voracious sexual appetites. And while the _pon farr_ - mating cycle - of full blooded Vulcans was limited to once every seven years there was no predicting what a mix with Klingon DNA would result in. _She might be a walking talking rabbit._

"Aside from showing me first hand exactly how well women can fight." Alec instinctively held the hand that Tasmith had fractured simply by squeezing it in hers. He never ran away from a fight but if they ever faced each other again it would have to be considered, especially because Rene would be at the mercy of anyone who threatened her if he failed.

"You're still alive and she's probably in a penal colony by now harassing or seducing the local inmates."

He had to hand it to Rene, she always knew how to make him laugh. "Tom Paris got out too early. I don't think he would have..." Alec stopped himself again. _I've got to stop doing that._

Rene let that one go. "My point is, you beat her. You're still here and not a head on a wall somewhere."

"Thanks for that comforting visual, dear. I didn't exactly win by conventional means."

"I'm sure that in a fair fight-"

"It was a fair fight, Rene!" His own outburst surprised him. Frustration had reached its boiling point. He was sorry it had been unleashed on his wife, but he was glad he had let it out. "It was a fair fight and she kicked my ass. If I hadn't used that phaser I'd be dead right now. I cheated."

Rene turned over so they were face to face. "You are the most honorable man I've ever met. You didn't cheat. You improvised. Besides you had no other choice. You did what you had to in order to ensure your children would grow up with a father and I'd grow old with my husband. Now, if the situation ever does arise where you can either choose to stick by your morals and die, or cheat to survive, you damn well better cheat."

"Given the choice," said Alec. "I'll go with option B."

"I thought you would." Rene leaned in and kissed him then wrapped her arm around and held him tight. "What happens when we get there?"

"I don't know. We'll find out when we do."


	14. Breakthrough

Chapter 14

Breakthrough

When the Travioli entered Orion space it felt as if the temperature inside the shuttle dropped ten degrees. Alec had reprogrammed the holoprojectors to give the ship an appearance of a Tellarite cargo ship. Tellarites had good standing with the Orion Syndicate as mercenaries. Obviously they would not show up as sensors as Tellarites but that was no cause for concern. Their biggest worry was of any rogue ship that might stop them and board them, looking to loot.

There was nothing on board of any value. They themselves were the most valuable commodities in the eyes of the Orions.

The thought of Rene standing on a podium in a slave auction made his blood boil. He would die before he let an Orion lay a green hand on her, but he was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

If the navigational sensors hadn't told them they had entered Orion space, the number of distress beacons they picked up would have. Cry after cry for help flooded the communications system. It got to the point where Rene deactivated the audio alerts. She was on the verge of tears. There was only so much she could take.

Alec had no choice but to turn a blind eye. A fully armed Orion ship would overpower the Travioli in no time. If it were up to him he would come back in the Enterprise when this was over and destroy every single Orion ship he could find.

Although he tried his hardest to fight against it, his morbid curiosity ran rampant. One day he intended to discover what gave certain humans a preoccupation with the horrid. His started when he was a child and saw the holographic version of the film Aliens.

Terrible images were churned by his imagination. Orions boarding ships and killing those that fought against them. Women were sized up and organized according to the estimated price they were believed to fetch in auction. Those women that were judged to fetch below a certain amount were discarded, often raped first.

Alec forced his mind to stop before his imagination gave Rene's face to one of those women. He felt sick to his stomach. The idea that humans sometimes became part of the Orion Syndicate made him sad for his species. It refuted the belief somewhat that all mankind had evolved beyond such petty doings.

He wondered if his friends back on the Enterprise had found the surprises he left them in the cave. Hopefully they'd be able to decipher more of the computer than he had been able to with the time that was available. Maybe they'd get all the answers to this mystery without him.

Several course alterations were required to ensure they didn't collide with derelict ships. They even had to drop out of warp at one point in order to maneuver through a debris field before jumping to warp again.

Some of the derelicts they encountered were those from which distress beacons originated. No doubt left on to lure unsuspecting captains with intentions of heroism. Alec was glad they were not present to see any brave but foolish crews fall into the trap.

They arrived in orbit of Farius Prime in time to see a derelict Antares-Class cargo ship get tractored in. Several scavenger drones quickly swarmed towards it and went to work disassembling the hull.

Antares-Class ships were a prime source of spare parts for needy cargo captains. Whatever one required whether it be an engine part, a replacement sensor array, or impulse manifolds, it could usually be found on the Orion black market.

Starfleet had tried several times to bring down the interstellar cartel but had never been fully successful. Undercover operations had helped deal blows to the organization but had never brought it down. In Alec's opinion, they needed a twenty-fourth century Eliot Ness.

He hadn't told Rene the full story behind the Orion Syndicate because there's no way she'd let him beam down to the surface if she had all the details.

His heart was thumping. Despite his being set up and despite his being relieved of duty, there was an excitement that came from this mystery. The way each piece led to another and how he deduced certain things with logic and immediate information was a classic example of what drove men to solve mysteries to begin with. It was too bad Data couldn't come along. He was a fan of Sherlock Holmes.

"Rene, run a quick scan of the planet. Look for Vesuvian lifesigns."

"Hopefully I'll do this right." she said. Tactical sensors were what she had become familiar with, she had only a passing knowledge of the standard scanners. She figured it took her a little bit longer than it should have but she muddled through it. In less than two minutes she found what she was looking for. "According to this, he's in the western hemisphere, northern continent."

"At least it'll be a nice warm night." Alec stood from the helm and walked into the rear section. He took a type I phaser from the weapons locker. Normally he'd take a type II with him but he wanted to conceal connections with Starfleet as much as possible. And this particular phaser was specially made. It was designed to be undetectable to sensors. He chose the shirt he wore specifically for it's ability to conceal a type I phaser. Inside the wrist of the right sleeve was an inner cuff where he could place it. His combadge was removed and put in his pocket along with some latinum he had brought along just in case he needed it.

Next came the hard part. Telling Rene to wait. She had to stay behind. There was no way in hell he'd let her come along. "We need to find an isolated area for me to beam down."

He subconsciously emphasized the word 'me.' For a moment he thought she was going to correct him by saying 'you mean us.' But she said nothing of the sort. "There's an empty alley about 50 meters from his location. You can beam down and walk out as if you were there the whole time."

"Sounds good."

Rene looked up into his eyes. She could tell what he was thinking. "I suppose it would make no difference if I said I wanted to come with you."

"No more than the last time." This was about one hundred times more dangerous than going into the underground cavern on Vesuvia and she had to have known that.

"Than hurry and beam down before I have a lapse in judgment."

Alec leaned down and transferred the alley coordinates to the transporter. It was still empty. "I'll make this all up to you. I promise."

She kissed him. "I don't think Methuselah lived long enough to do that."

Alec materialized in the dark, dank alleyway to the smell of decay. It made him want to retch. A scurrying noise made him draw his phaser. His now adjusted night vision identified rats as the source. They always seemed to find their way to the most unlikely places.

He crouched closer to the ground when he saw several bodies laying against the adjacent walls. Rene had told him the alley was empty. Lying was out of the question. Which could only leave one explanation. They were dead.

There were five bodies in total. He approached the nearest one carefully. Alec shook his head when he saw the man was human. There were no visible signs of injury. In the hand of the deceased was a small white cylinder. He had been clutching it when he died.

Alec shooed away a rat that was gnawing on the man's finger. A bloody stump was all that was left. He took the cylinder by the exposed end and pulled it free from the man's grip. The cylinder was 8cm in length before slanting at a forty five degree angle for another 3cm. He had seen vials like that before and didn't need to run a chemical analysis to know what was inside. Nor did he need to run a post mortem scan to know what had killed him. He had died of a ketracel-white overdose.

Ketracel-white junkies were the latest in history's long line of drug addicts. Referred to by junkies as 'The White Euphoria,' the narcotic was originally used by the Founders to ensure obedience from its soldiers, the Jem'Hadar, who had a genetically built-in dependency to the drug. If they didn't get their dosage, their genetic structure would collapse. A certain amount of painful withdrawal generally preceded death.

The Orion Syndicate, in its seemingly infinite malignancy, after obtaining a sample of the drug, studied its chemical makeup and refined it. The potency of the dosage was doubled. After distributing free samples to they already widespread clientele, their user base went up 25. The profit lost by giving away the samples was made back in less than a week.

Alec looked at the man's ashen face which he had avoided looking at in more detail until now. Red sores had formed at various parts of his skin. Blood had seeped out of his eyes and now caked on his cheekbones. His eyes, cornea, pupil, iris, were completely covered in a dark red crust. Which meant the man had died before the pooled blood blinded him and fully drained. His mouth hung open as if forever calling out for someone to free him of this horrible addiction.

He threw the vial against the wall, splattering the liquid drug and sending several rats scurrying away once more. This was not a place he wanted to stay any longer than he had to. _Level four._

The street was directly ahead. Alec started on his way. Just as he was about to step out and join the passersby, a person of a species unknown to him lurched awkwardly into the alley, blocking his path.

The alien, who was a few centimeters shorter than Alec, had sores similar to the dead man in the alley, but his were purple. And his body involuntarily convulsed periodically. He had to be a white junkie. "Have any spare latinum, my Bajoran friend?"

_Great, just great._ Alec feigned guilt and handed the man a strip of latinum from his pocket. "Sorry, I don't really feel safe carrying money around in these parts." He tried to step around the man but his way was blocked again.

"Surely," said the man, showing disbelief. "Someone wearing clothes as nice as yours must be carrying more than that. Perhaps you simply forgot."

Alec tracked the motions of the man's hand. He had produced a knife from the inside of his jacket. It was a rusted d'k tahg dagger, one of the sharpened hilt blades was missing. It was a sad, pale comparison of its former self. But rusted or not, it could still be lethal. "I'm assuming that's supposed to help me remember."

"Into the alley." He motioned swiftly with his knife.

"But I just came from there." Alec was hoping he could use the man's condition to his advantage. There was a chance that in his drug altered state he could be distracted. He'd be watching.

A moment of blind confusion flooded the man's eyes. "Into the alley." he said again as if it were the first time.

_Oh this will be too easy._ Alec could have acted then, it was the perfect opportunity. But he thought it better to wait until there were no witnesses. He complied and stepped backward into the alley. The man was most likely unstable. It would be unwise to take an eye off of him.

"Hand over your money." said the man, his eye twitching as he spoke.

"I don't have any more. It's situations like this that made me stop carrying money. Don't you think that's smart?"

"Yes, very smart...Hey...Wait...You must have something."

_God help me, this is actually fun._ The look in the man's eyes flashed from determined to confused to angry then back to determined. A part of him wanted to keep going but this had cost him enough time. "I don't have anything else. But maybe one of your friends back there has something."

"Huh? Who?" The man looked in the direction of the alley that Alec was pointing.

Alec acted on the distraction. With an inside crescent kick he knocked the dagger out of the junkie's hand. The surprised addict for a moment seemed unsure what to do. His face went through a multitude of expressions. Rage, confusion, reluctance, fear, apprehension. Alec didn't think it was possible for facial muscles to operate so quickly.

The man let out a sound that was more sob than anything and ran away. Alec picked up the dagger and put it in an inside coat pocket. It probably wouldn't be as effective as his phaser but it never hurt to have an extra surprise.

He stepped out into the street. I wonder if this is the good part of town. The local populace consisted of a variety greater than that of Deep Space Nine. Nausicaans, Bolians, humans, Orions, Tellarites, reptilian Xindi, Ferengi, and many more. He could have sworn he even saw a single Suliban, but he could have been wrong. A member of their race hadn't been seen in almost two hundred years.

It appeared to be the town square. Business establishments were plentiful for several blocks. Things weren't as seedy as he expected, but they weren't squeaky clean either. There were groups of all races standing and laughing, minding their own business. Money and drugs switched hands in the blink of an eye. Not that they had to be discreet, but they did anyway so they'd be on the ball when they were somewhere that required such discretion.

Alec kept his hands in his jacket pockets as he walked down the street. The last thing he needed was to have his pocket picked by some local with sticky fingers.

The next area he entered was more on the seedy side. He could not turn his head without seeing a harlot on a street corner. It was enough to break anyone's heart. This was one of the many things that had been eliminated on Earth so many years ago and he was relieved at that. The fact that some women felt they had to sell themselves in order to gain enough income to survive was incomprehensible. Sadder still was that for a number of them, death was the only true escape.

One spoke to him as he walked by. She was Andorian, and wearing an attire that while strange looking to him must be appealing to the locals otherwise she would not be wearing it. And she was undeniably attractive. "Ooh, I like Bajoran men. Three bars of latinum gets you an entire night."

This must be the expensive part of the street. He kept walking. "Sorry. My wife would kill me, and you."

"Two more bars and you can bring her too."

He could not help but smile at that. The other women on the street didn't even attempt eye contact with him. The only thing he could think of was that he just turned down the top dog and the others were reluctant to even try and gain his favor. Some of them couldn't have been older than twenty.

Just being on this street made Alec feel like he hadn't bathed for a month. His combadge vibrating against his hand was a welcome distraction. Before beaming down, Alec told Rene that instead of contacting him over a comline to inform him he was near his target she should send a signal to the motion mechanism in his combadge.

As long as he moved in the correct direction the combadge would keep vibrating. If he veered off in the wrong direction it would cease and not resume until he was back on track.

He found himself standing outside of a bar. _This must be the place._ He stepped to the door and an especially large Orion man stopped him by placing his hand on his chest. Alec pulled a bar of latinum from his pocket and held it out to the man. The Orion grunted and motioned him to the door. _Glad I brought money along._ He clicked off the combadge before entering.

It was loud inside, and he smelled the familiar scent of alcohol and a faint trace of regurgitated stomach contents that was common for a bar. Aside from the clientele, and the Orion slave girl dancing on a stage in the center of the tavern, he was reminded of his wilder youth. There was no sign of Ty'brel during his lookover of the room but it was fairly lively so he didn't expect to find him right away.

Alec walked around the perimeter of the tavern. It was a typical bar scene. People just wanting to wind down with a drink at the end of a long day. Or the lonely and depressed wanting to drown their sorrows and forget their problems. Then there were the truly pathetic bargoers: Those that believed that if their ladyfriends took in enough alcohol they would be willing to spend the night with them. _There's Jones' favorite dating tactic._

An intoxicated Bajoran man jumped up form a table and threw an arm around Alec. "How about them Cardies, eh, friend?" he said with slurred speech. "We sure gave it to them during the Occupation."

"We sure did." Alec almost gagged at the man's breath. But he was not being malicious, only friendly, so Alec took it with good humor. "And the Federation Alliance gave them such a beating they had no choice but to switch sides." That wasn't true but he knew the Bajoran was a patriot, and intoxication would further encourage him to agree. The man laughed and patted Alec on the shoulder before returning to his table. _Nice place._

His walk around the tavern took him past several tables and nearer to the Orion slave girl. It was by circumstance, not by choice. The gyrating woman was beckoning him to come closer with her finger. He simply smiled at her and continued his walk. She pouted and went on with her show. It was a classic technique used by some of the more exotic drinking establishments. Take an attractive woman with little clothing, an extremely healthy physique and provocative body language, put her in a room with men and alcohol and those men would stay and drink until they were out of money or endurance.

A Tellarite at a nearby table rushed the stage. The green skinned beauty showed no concern towards the oncoming drunk. In fact, when she saw him approach she gestured for him to keep coming with both hands. Upon reaching the stage he was stopped by a forcefield and thrown to the floor unconscious. She continued to dance. Two Orions picked him up by the arms and dragged him outside. They dropped him on the ground and came back in. All the while, she never stopped dancing.

Alec completed one full round of the stage and was about to start another when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. In a dark corner of the tavern there was a solitary man sitting at a table with a drink in his hands. Alec stepped closer to get a better look. The man was Vesuvian. He had found him.

He approached the table swiftly but not so fast as to appear threatening. His purpose was not to frighten the man into running. When he was close enough to speak to the man without anyone else hearing him he made sure to talk in a friendly tone. "Ty'brel?"

Upon hearing the name, the Vesuvian man jumped to his feet with surprising speed and swung a fist. Alec leaned back and avoided the first punch before grabbing Ty'brel's other wrist as it going for his gut. "Would you stop?" He took a hard shot to the kidney before restraining Ty'brel completely. _Yep, there'll be blood the next time I go._

Ty'brel continued to struggle but he was in too weak a position to offer much resistance. "Why should I when someone is trying to kill me?"

"I'm not trying to kill you. I would have done so already."

"Nobody on this planet knows who I am. Which means you tracked me down. Why would you bother tracking me down unless you wanted to kill me?"

"I'm trying to save you." said Alec as he released Ty'brel. He then showed his hidden weapons to the man. "As I was saying, if I wanted you dead, you would be."

Ty'brel took a step back and rubbed his wrist. "Save me from who?"

"From the Romulan elimination force that _is_ trying to kill you."

Sheer panic overtook Ty'brel. He looked frantically around the tavern for anyone that appeared threatening. Based on the demeanor he exhibited when Alec first saw him, Ty'brel had ceased to live with a day to day fear for his life but still went about things cautiously. Alec's warning evidently reignited that fear. "How did they find me?"

"One thing I've learned is that Romulans have eyes and ears everywhere."

Panic continued to overtake Ty'brel. But as he took another look at Alec he raised an eyebrow. It was almost in a Vulcan fashion. "How did _you_ find me?" He looked like he was ready to make a run for it. His hands were shaking.

Alec had to be careful. A man in fear for his life was unpredictable at best. "I found a hidden room in the underground caverns of the Presidential Forum. The Romulans had some kind of command post there. A computer entry that I translated told me where to find you."

"The Romulans..." Ty'brel's eyes closed and his hands stopped shaking. "Sha'Gra is dead?"

"Yes." That confirmed the former Vesuvian president knew what was going on.

Ty'brel's head bowed. When he raised it once more his eyes were open and his voice had deepened by an octave. "Then it has begun."

"What's begun?" Finally, after everything he had gone through he was going to have an answer. The mystery had taken him through light-years of space to this very moment. His need to understand what was going on wasn't being satiated fast enough. Ty'brel had seemingly withdrawn into a catatonic state and had not responded to Alec's query. "Ty'brel! What has begun?"

The sharp tone with which he was being questioned snapped Ty'brel out of his trance. He looked like he had fallen to the bottom of a precipice, forever out of reach of any line thrown to him down to him. "The Romulans have a new weapon. But this is unlike any weapon ever built. They can destroy any ship without firing a single shot."

_Of course it's a new weapon! What is it with bad guys and the need to have a new weapon?!_ Khan Noonien Singh of Earth, General Chang of Qo'noS, Dr. Tolian Soren of El Auria, all had tried to reshape things according to their will using some kind of superweapon. Khan, a genetically enhanced human had used the 'Genesis Device.' It was capable not only of creating life on a lifeless planet but also eliminating already existing life on a populated world, essentially restarting the life cycle of the planet.

General Chang, who was the chief of staff to Chancellor Gorkon, commanded a Bird of Prey that was capable of firing while still under the concealment of its cloaking device. He attempted to use this ship to destroy the brewing peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

Tolian Soren once belonged to a race of listeners before they were scattered across the galaxy by the Borg. He so longed to return to an Eden-like dimension called the Nexus that he used special probes to destroy certain stars in order to alter the course of the 'energy ribbon' that acted as the gateway to the Nexus. Alec could only guess what the Romulans had at their disposal.

"I don't even know where to begin." said Ty'brel. His voice was laden with defeat.

Guilt and shame formed an aura around him, and rightly so to Alec. If he had come forward three years ago with had he had known Sha'Gra would still be alive, Vesuvia would be part of the Federation, the Romulans would have been driven back to their own space to concoct whatever new scheme they could come up with, and Alec wouldn't have been chased across the quadrant by bounty hunters. But he wasn't going to say anything to remind the man of that fact, he was going to be thinking about it every day for the rest of his life. It was something that Alec knew a lot about.

"What are the Romulans up to?"

Ty'brel's eyes widened. Now he had something to focus his thoughts on, to gain clarity of mind with. "First, tell me who you are."

"My name is Alec Wilson. I'm chief of security on board the U.S.S. Enterprise."

The Vesuvian nodded in acknowledgement. "I was working late one night at the presidential forum. My speech for Sha'Gra's inauguration wasn't going as I hoped. I was never good with words, that's why my staff recommended a speechwriter. But that was an easy way out. It would have been me saying the words, but it wouldn't have been me giving the speech." His rambling showed how wrought with emotion he was, but at least he was getting the story out. "When I finally decided to leave, I told my personal guard to wait by the main exit while I stopped by Bru'Dan's office to say goodbye. When I was outside the door I heard two voices inside. One was Bru'Dan's, the other I had never heard before. She had-"

"She?"

"Yes. Her voice conveyed power, I'd never heard anything like it before. She was Romulan. I wasn't even there ten seconds before they started talking about it, their plan." Ty'brel paused.

"What was it?" Alec had the feeling Ty'brel would need occasional prompting to keep him going as he himself did during his first sessions with Troi after James' death.

"They wanted Sha'Gra to form an alliance with the Romulans, and if she didn't do so, they would remove her from power and replace her with someone who would. Bru'Dan wanted the job. I never knew he was such a power hungry man."

"Why did they want an alliance?" Alec prompted again.

"They both hated the Federation. They wanted it destroyed."

_Sounds like Bru'Dan._ The biggest question on Alec's mind was screaming to be answered. "I understand them wanting her out of the picture, but why, _why_, did they incriminate _me_?"

"They wanted a Starfleet scapegoat so my people would boycott any further relations with the Federation. The Romulans would take advantage of that by being the first to declare their sympathies and offering their services whenever needed. The people would then support an alliance with the Romulans. The people who were 'there for us.' May I keep going?"

Alec hid a smirk. His prompting was no longer needed by the looks of it. Ty'brel was in storytelling mode. "By all means."

"The Romulan woman, her people had been developing a weapon with some of the dilithium that Bru'Dan supplied them. She wanted further access to our mining planets."

"So they _are_ after them." That was a slap in the face. After saying it was out of the realm of possibility that the Romulans were after the mining planets it humbled him to find out how very wrong he was. "Why didn't Bru'Dan just give her the locations of the planets?"

"He only knew the location of one, the one he used to work security on. The sole person to know the location of all the planets is the president. Once he was in control he'd have the locations to all the planets and the codes to bring them out of subspace."

"Bring them out of _what?_" Alec was getting into the really interesting stuff now. When he had been under the impression there was more to what was going on he had no idea there was this much.

Ty'brel hesitated. Clearly the information he held was top secret. "I suppose there's no point in keeping this from you. It's important you have all the details." He leaned in across the table so he wouldn't have to speak as loud thus reducing the chance of being heard. "Our mining planets have cores made of pure dilithium. Veins of ore run throughout the entire planet. Our scientists discovered long ago that if enough energy is channeled through these veins, the planet will enter subspace."

_No wonder that's why we've never been able to find them, and why they keep the locations secret._ Planets with cores of dilithium were unheard of, they had never even been theorized. Starfleet exogeologists would give anything to have a look at one of these worlds. It would take them decades to make their own analyses. All the latinum in the galaxy couldn't equal the worth of just one of the mining planets.

"The amount of energy required to do so must be...astronomical."

"Actually, once the planet enters subspace it becomes self sustaining. The mining facilities themselves are environmentally contained to ensure survival."

Alec was still in awe of this discovery, but it was moot. There was something more important he still needed to know. "What were they planning?"

"After a certain amount of time had passed, they were going to open up relations with your people once again."

"To what end? For what purpose?" He didn't suspect the intentions were noble.

"They were going to publicly acknowledge the fact that you were working on your own agenda, not the Federation's. Once the public accepted this, relations would ensue, including subsequent trade for our dilithium. Not just to the Federation, but to every single power that used dilithium to power its ships."

"That list goes on and on."

"There's more, and it's not any better."

_I don't see how it could be any worse._ But that just meant that it would be. And he knew how, he knew what was coming. "The weapon."

Ty'brel nodded. He had enjoyed the storytelling until a minute ago. He would have much rather talked about his people's accomplishments instead of a traitor's underhanded dealings, but the latter was more urgent. "Who originally came up with the idea for the weapon, I don't know. What I do know is the Romulans built it. It emits a frequency that resonates inside the dilithium crystals within a warp core. The crystals then shatter, causing the matter and antimatter to mix directly. The ship is destroyed. Once enough time has passed, the Romulan fleet will deploy, and begin using the weapon."

_Sounds like something the Tal'Shiar woulc think up._ He couldn't even begin to imagine the full scope of what the Romulans were doing. No ship was safe. Federation, Klingon, Cardassian, Ferengi. Any ship that used the Vesuvian dilithium would be destroyed. And if they could use this weapon while cloaked they could use it on an unsuspecting ship and destroy it before the poor souls on board even suspected there was a problem.

A lingering curiosity forced a question. "Why didn't you say anything to anyone?"

"They said that part of the plan was to capture me and kill me if I didn't cooperate. I was so completely overcome with fear that I couldn't even think, only act. I ran. I took my private shuttle and just kept going. Before I knew it I was here."

"How'd you survive so long?"

"Lots and lots of bribes." Ty'brel managed a small laugh. He felt better having revealed everything he had thus far. He just hoped what he had to offer wasn't too little too late. "So you're the Starfleet scapegoat. How did they manage to implicate you? DNA planting?"

_Uh oh, this guy might not take it so lightly._ Alec would accomplish nothing by lying. Even if he managed to conceal the truth for the moment, Ty'brel would undoubtedly find out later. "They didn't do anything. I did it, I killed her."

The smile faded from Ty'brel's face. Any humour he had found was no buried under confusion and anger. "You said before they implicated you."

"They did. I was used to kill her. It was dark in the underground caverns, and it's very likely I was under the influence of the hallucinogenic underground stream, I don't know. I saw a Jem'Hadar soldier and heard his weapon. When he didn't respond to me I opened fire. I later realized I had been set up because my phaser setting had been changed by someone other than me."

"My apologies. I thought too harshly of you when you said you had done it. I did not expect them to go to such lengths."

"Oh believe me, they did. I'll never forget that moment. Looking down on her. Those black eyes."

"_What?!" snapped Ty'brel. "Did you say black?"_

"_Yes, why?" His counterpart's behaviour was beginning to disturb him._

"_That's impossible." said Ty'brel, his head shaking. There was something going on._

"_I assure you, it's not. She was dead, and her eyes were black. The wound that she sustained would result in nothing else."_

"_You're absolutely certain they were black?"_

"_Yes! What are you getting at?"_

_Ty'brel sat silently in though, then a slight smile appeared on his face. It was an honest smile, almost victorious. "You might be more innocent than you think. There is no condition that causes a Vesuvian's eyes to turn black."_

_Alec almost fell out of his chair. His eyes felt as wide as the Enterprise saucer section. "What?"_

"_As a matter of fact, when we die, our eyes turn white. Our doctors can't figure out why. A good number of us believe it's because our spirit has left the body."_

"_White, you said." Alec replayed the event over and over in his head. Every single time, her eyes were black, never white. "That wasn't Sha'Gra. She's still alive somewhere."_


	15. Unearthing

Chapter 15

Unearthing

The possibility that it had not been Sha'Gra in the cave had not even crossed Alec's mind before. But now he could not believe he had not thought it. They could have very easily surgically altered someone to resemble her. It would explain why the autopsy report was falsified, and why there were no traces of her DNA in the cavern. Someone involved in the conspiracy _had_ gone back afterwards and collected every trace of genetic material so the truth wouldn't be uncovered.

It was one of the most elaborate conspiracies be had ever heard of, he just wished he wasn't a part of it. There was still more to it that they were not aware of, and he looked forward to cracking it open. "Think back," said Alec. "Did either of them mention using a decoy in Sha'Gra's place."

Ty'brel did not answer outright, giving it serious thought in case he had forgotten something. "No, they didn't say anything. Bru'Dan was quite adamant that she be killed."

The identity of the female Romulan was unknown to Alec, although he had an idea. He had never dealt with her personally, but he had read about her. One of his interests during the academy was the Enterprise-D, he made it a hobby to read up on their exploits. "This female Romulan, was her name by any chance Sela?"

Ty'brel's attention which had been on his drink was now on Alec once again. "How did you know?"

_I was afraid of that._ "My captain has dealt with her twice before. And based on what I know, I'm willing to bet it was her that was behind the decoy. She must have plans for Sha'Gra. Something that Bru'Dan hadn't thought of."

"That wouldn't be surprising. His ability for deep thought isn't exactly legendary. How far would this Sela go?"

Sela was still a mystery to Starfleet. Upon first encountering Captain Picard thirteen years ago she claimed to be the daughter of Tasha Yar, chief of security aboard the Enterprise-D, who had been killed by a malevolent alien several years before. The idea that Tasha could have a daughter, let alone a half Romulan daughter who would have been born when Tasha was only a child herself, was considered ludicrous. But a DNA test confirmed she was who she claimed. The question that everyone had asked either mentally or vocally was how it was possible.

According to Sela, who according to reports was the spitting image of her mother, Tasha Yar was aboard the Enterprise-C when it was defending the Klingon outpost Narendra III from a Romulan attack. Several survivors were taken back to Romulus, Tasha was among them. A Romulan general took interest her. He promised to spare the lives of the bridge crew if she agreed to become his wife. Sela was born the following year. When asked by Picard how Tasha wound up on the Enterprise-C, Sela told him that he sent her there from the future. Full details were either not given or not included in the official report.

It would not be the first time Sela had attempted a direct blow against the Federation. The last time Captain Picard crossed paths with her she used the good intentions of the legendary Ambassador Spock to try and attack the Federation from the inside by invading one of its founding worlds, Vulcan. Reunification of the Vulcan and Romulan peoples had long been a dream of Spock's, and she had no second thoughts about exploiting his dream to advance her own agenda.

"She'd go pretty far."

A series of cat calls turned Alec's attention back to the bar scene. The patrons were directing their cheers at the dancing slave girl on the stage. But it was a different girl than before. Where had the other girl gone?

"I have to get back to my ship. They need to know what's going on. And you're coming with me."

"Will your people be able to stop them?"

"With everything you've told me we should be able to come up with something. I doubt the Romulans will back off but at least we'll be ready for them. Let's get to the beam up coordinates." Alec stood up from the table and gestured Ty'brel to follow him. With his new ally right behind him, he led the way to the exit. But just as soon as he got moving he was backing up and pushing Ty'brel along. "Shit."

Ty'brel did not resist. He was not familiar with the term that the Starfleet man had used but he was familiar with the emphasis with which he expressed it. "What's wrong?"

Alec pointed at the exit. "Look." Standing in the doorway was a Romulan, who then made way for three more. "I was sure I had more time."

"What now?"

"Stay down. They won't go unnoticed for long."

Sure enough, there were soon murmurs and shouts of protest against the presence of these latest entrants. Racial slurs were thrown in the form of taunting. Most of the material was based around pointed ears and green blood. A few here and there were about the capabilities of Romulan females. It all got old very quickly but the patrons were inebriated to the point where a belch would have them rolling around on the floor laughing like children being tickled.

Two large Orions with arms as big as warp nacelles were there to stop the Romulans from coming in any further. Alec could not help but wonder what happened to the Orion that he paid to allow him entry. It wouldn't have a happy ending. They came here to eliminate, not negotiate. They wouldn't carry money to barter for entry.

To Alec's surprise, the Romulans exited with no fuss. _This can't be good._ Mutual relief was expressed upon their departure, but it was short-lived and overtaken by screams of terror and the energetic zap of disruptor fire outside. Within seconds, three of the Romulans reentered the tavern, their weapons drawn. They stepped aside and allowed a fourth to enter, who originally had been the first Romulan to enter. Alec named them in his head. The head Romulan was Alpha, the remaining three were Beta, Gamma, Delta.

Alpha stepped forward, followed by Beta. Gamma and Delta blocked the exit, one facing in and one facing out. No surprises.

"We are looking for two men." Alpha spoke with a commanding authority that only came with years of experience in the field. "A human and a Vesuvian."

Alpha had Alec's attention at 'two men.' _Okay, they know I'm here. But they don't know about my cover. This could be helpful._

Nobody in the bar was particularly forthcoming with information. Chances are had it been anyone other than a Romulan asking they would have spoken up in a heartbeat. The enemy of an enemy is a friend.

"Start looking." said Alpha to Beta. "They'd be together."

The two Romulans began circling on opposite sides of the stage. Beta would get to them first. "Ty'brel," said Alec. "Can you fight?" he asked before remembering the kidney shot.

"Even a pacifist wouldn't last two years on this planet with bribes alone. I can fight."

"Good, cross your arms and put your head down, act like you've passed out. Don't do anything until I do. When that one Romulan reaches us it's going to get rowdy in here."

"What makes you so sure?"

Alec's mouth parted in a devilish grin and he quoted one of his favorite holofilm lines. "I aim to misbehave."

Still not knowing exactly what his new friend intended, Ty'brel did as he was told. If he had any hope of surviving he'd have to trust his life to him. The Starfleet man had to be experienced in many fields if he were to have made it this far alive. The one thing he did not understand was that the Romulans were looking for a human man, but the man before him was Bajoran.

Alpha and Beta weren't being lazy about their job. They looked at the face of every man at each table they passed. Beta came nearer and nearer as Alpha rounded the opposite side of the stage. For a moment Alec thought, moreso hoped, Beta wouldn't see them. But he thought wrong.

After looking at two more tables, the Romulan turned and walked their way. With his arms crossed on the table and his head on top, Alec put on his best drunk face and relaxed his body as best he could. He had gotten intoxicated with James enough times that he should be able to fake it. The familiar twang of pain rang in his scalp as he had his head pulled up by the hair. He moaned and let some saliva drip from his mouth for good effect. He heard Beta groan in disgust as he released his grip.

Still relaxed, Alec's head landed in his arms. He reached into his inside coat pocket and gripped the handle of the d'k tahg he took from his would be mugger and waited for the right moment.

Beta moved on to Ty'brel. In a move of unexpected but welcome foolishness he rested his disruptor hand on the table as he reached for Ty'brel's head with the other. That was it, the moment. Alec sprang from the chair and pulled the d'k tahg from his pocket. Grabbing Beta's free hand he wrenched it over, placing it on top of his disruptor hand. He thrust the blade of the knife down through Beta's hands and into the table's surface a split second after the repositioning was complete.

_He won't be using a disruptor anytime soon._ Beta's cries of pain did not go unnoticed by the rest of the tavern. It seemed to be just the thing that everyone had been waiting for. Human hit Bajoran, Nausicaan hit human, Tellarite hit Andorian. _Perfect._ Alec was rather pleased. He just didn't want to be around when the energy weapons started firing.

Ty'brel was as surprised by the Starfleet man's actions as the Romulan had been. He had taken cover behind the table when the ruckus started. Just because he knew how to fight didn't mean he wanted to.

Alec ducked to avoid a flying glass that continued on to smash on a nearby wall. He kept his eyes on the exit. Gamma and Delta had not yet been drawn into the fight but if and when they were it still would not be an easy task getting there.

He heard the sound of a disruptor much later than he expected. _Now it's going to get ugly._ A Nausicaan disappeared into thin air as he was hit by the energy beam. Chances were at least half of the people in the bar had a weapon of some sort on them. Intoxication and a weapon were not a good combination.

Men were being pushed over tables, chairs were being thrown, and bottles were smashed over heads. It was the stereotypical bar fight. Alec was content to stand and watch until Alpha made his way through the crowd and pointed his disruptor in their direction.

"Get down!"

Alec threw his own feet out from under him and dropped to the floor. He kept his eyes on Alpha as he went. As Alpha's disruptor was discharging a bargoer collided with him from behind. His weapon fired off target behind Alec.

He smelled the odor of burnt flesh and feared the worst. "Ty'brel!"

"I'm okay." came a voice from behind him.

The beam had hit Beta. Alec had to act quickly. He jumped to his feet and pulled the d'k tahg from the table where Beta's hands had been just a moment ago. The rusted blade was stained green up to the hilt. Guided solely by instinct he turned and threw the dagger without aiming just in time to see Alpha stand to his feet and begin to take aim once more.

The dagger impacted just above the elbow. Alpha winced and dropped his disruptor. But it didn't extinguish his resolve. The Romulan grasped the handle, and wincing once more, he pulled the dagger from his arm.

_This is where the fun starts._ Alpha ran towards Alec with the knife, ready to plunge down with it. It probably angered the Romulan even further that he was reduced to using a Klingon weapon.

When Alpha was a few meters away Alec sidestepped his enemy. He grabbed the downswinging arm and used his momentum against him by placing his hand on the back of Alpha's head and pushed it down onto the surface of the table with a loud bang. Alpha was out cold.

"You might want to get a tetanus shot when you wake up."

Alec looked up to see an unexpected sight. Ty'brel was holding Beta's disruptor and was pointing it at him. A green beam buzzed by Alec's head. He turned just in time to see a Nausicaan join the atmosphere. A nasty looking knife clattered to the ground where he stood.

"Nice shooting!" exclaimed Alec.

"I would have told you to duck but it would have been too late."

Feeling unsafe keeping his back to the crowd, Alec turned to face them. Nobody seemed very interested in the two of them. They were all too busy fighting each other. He took another look at the exit. Gamma and Delta were no longer blocking the way. They had to have either been pulled into the fight or scared off. The former was most likely. Despite the popular Klingon belief, Romulans were not cowards.

Although Gamma and Delta were no longer present, the big Orion that charged Alec admission stood in the archway. He was scanning the room with his eyes.

_I think we found a mole._ Alec motioned for Ty'brel to stay down. He looked around as best he could, trying to find another escape route.

"You're wasting your time." said Ty'brel. "That's the only way in or out."

"There's always another way out, finding it is the thing." He surveyed every part that was visible. The only doorway he could see was the one being blocked by the Incredible Hulk. There had to be a way out.

Where was the slave girl? The stage was unoccupied. During the commotion Alec did not notice her leave. The forcefield was still up, as evidenced by the odd piece of bar debris that bounced off it. People couldn't just walk through forcefields, unless they were Borg. But he wasn't going to follow that train of thought.

A passage in the stage surface. It was the only explanation. She would have been swarmed by the crowd if she attempted to pass through. It made sense. The girls would need a way to take the stage without being mobbed by the drunken patrons. A passage in the stage was the easiest way to do so without lowering the forcefield.

Alec turned back to Ty'brel, who was still holding the disruptor. He pointed towards the stage. His Vesuvian friend nodded and indicated he was ready. Staying low to the floor they not only avoided any objects being thrown but also the onlooking eye of their resident watchtower in the doorway.

Being that low to the floor made Alec wonder how often it was cleaned.

They reached the perimeter of the stage. That was the easy part. The hard part was finding a way to gain access to the stage itself. The deactivation mechanism for the field wouldn't be out in the open where anyone could get to it and there was no time to go looking so Alec would have to find another way to bring it down. Disrupting the flow of power was the first thing that popped into his head. There was no visible wiring, which came as no surprise as it would be foolish to do so.

He realized the answer was in the stage. The field emitters were just beneath the surface of the perimeter. If he disabled those the field would come down.

In the short time he had been a rogue he had been met by a seemingly endless onslaught of 'whys' and 'hows.' Now another 'how' was presented. Needed was a quick, easy way to bring down the field. As dangerous as was in there at the moment it could only get worse.

Fortunately for them the stage reached a height of about a meter in a half allowing them to stay out of sight and maneuver without getting a painful muscle cramp.

Alec ran his hand along the side of the stage until he found a warm spot. Beneath the surface where his hand lay was a field emitter. He retrieved his phaser from the inner cuff of his shirt.

As convenient as the type I phaser was, it had fewer settings and less power than the type II. Instead of sixteen settings like 'Old Faithful,' it halved out at eight.

Level 5 was a sufficient setting in his mind. He changed the width setting to get a finer beam. Touching the warm part of the stage once more to make sure of his firing position he took a couple steps back and fired.

A steady stream of sparks flowed from the surface as the beam did its job and cut in. Alec held his arm steady and stuck his head up to look at the stage. He could see the hint of a hatch in the center of the platform. Neither of them had anything with which to pry it open, he'd have to use his phaser again. That would leave any pursuers easy access. But there was no other choice.

The spray of sparks narrowed and took a more streaming form as the beam carved into the stage. The emitters couldn't be too much further otherwise the field would have been further in on the platform.

A bottle smashing along the stage next to him splashed him with alcohol and told him to hurry up. _Hell with it._ He ceased fire, changed to level 6 and resumed in the same location. The higher setting quickly garnered results. Alec heard a fluttering in the field before it ceased.

He picked up a shard of the shattered bottle and flicked it at the forcefield. It landed on the stage surface with a barely registered _clink._

Alec turned to Ty'brel, who had been keeping watch. "We have to be quick. When we're up there we're going to be very easy targets. Follow my lead."

"Got it."

Alec put his eyes on the exit once again. Although his view was mostly obstructed, the Orion still towered high enough for the top of his head to be seen. It was risky, but so was staying put.

"Ready...Now!"

Alec jumped up to the platform. He immediately changed his phaser setting to level 8 and set it to a wider beam so it would envelop the hatch. Taking aim he fired. The beam burrowed through in a fraction of the time it took to cut through to the field emitter. He put the phaser back into his inner cuff and caught a quick glance of the Orion in the doorway. He looked furious. As Alec was putting his eyes back on their escape route he had enough time to see the Orion reach to his holster. When he reached the hatch he saw a figure approach the massive man. The Bajoran man, the one who had greeted Alec upon his entrance, had jumped the Orion and run a knife across his throat.

The Bajoran man stood over the bleeding Orion and threw a wave at Alec. Alec waved back and nodded. _If I ever make it back to this cesspool of a planet, I'm buying you a drink._

He looked down through the hatch. There was a ladder that went down roughly fifteen meters to a more well lit area. He squeezed his shoulders together and jumped down into the hole, reaching out and grabbing a rung when he was a few meters down. The rungs smashed against his ribs and made an impression of a tuning fork. He ignored the pain and commenced climbing down the ladder. When he was four meters or so above the floor below he let go and jumped, landing more softly on his feet than he expected.

Even as he was falling through the air he looked up to check on Ty'brel's progress. He was a third of the way down. The disruptor was still in his hand and hindered his progress. There was nowhere he could holster it.

Ten seconds ticked by in about a minute. Ty'brel had been handling the stress well, but there was only so much one could take before he began to crack. Hopefully Ty'brel could endure more.

"Ty'brel," said Alec. His friend was at about the same spot where he himself had jumped, perhaps a little higher. "You need to jump."

"Just a little bit more."

Alec was going to concede, but he sighted something above that changed his mind. He saw the form of a Romulan at the top of the ladder, looking down at them. Delta. "No, now!"

Ty'brel heard the urgency in Alec's voice and looked up. He let out a gasp and released his grip on the ladder.

Alec jumped backwards to avoid being fallen on. He reached out as fast as he could and grabbed the winded Ty'brel under the shoulders, pulling him clear of the line of fire. His reflexes served him well as he managed to drag him free of a disruptor beam that was fired down the chute.

Before the resulting spray of sparks had settled back on the ground, Alec had Ty'brel on his feet and they were going down the passageway. The corridor ran for maybe thirty meters before coming to an end. They needed to find a way back to street level.

Alec saw a series of doors along both walls. He chose the first one on his left. Upon opening there was an unexpected, but pleasant sight. Inside the room were several ample-bodied Orion slave girls in various states of undress. Alec counted seventeen. They were not startled by him, but rather they seemed to welcome his presence. Those in lesser states of dress were in no rush to clothe themselves.

They had stumbled upon the dressing room, for lack of a better term in Alec's mind. There was not much for the girls to dress in.

The accommodations were quite comfortable looking and lavish. Sofas and chairs were positioned throughout the moderately sized room. Computer terminals ran along the side walls. Flashing along their screens was information that neither concerned nor interested Alec. It wasn't just a dressing room, but a control room of sorts. It appeared that the rumor of Orion females running the Syndicate was no rumor at all.

"Excuse me, ladies." said Alec as he did the gentlemanly - and married - thing to do by averting his eyes. "But what's the quickest way back to street level?"

"You're leaving already?" asked one of the nearby girls as she sultered closer. "But you just got here." she said, pouting,

A disruptor beam just missed Ty'brel. Alec pulled him into the room. "Believe me, it's in your best interests if we leave." He peeked around the door frame and retreated back in upon seeing Delta take aim again. He heard the beam hit a wall in the corridor. "Ty'brel, as soon as I'm out there, grab my ankles." The stun setting was back in use as Alec lowered to the floor and dove into the corridor. Delta did not expect his maneuver and took the beam square in the chest.

As Delta fell, Gamma came out of the darkness behind him and fired. "Pull!" Alec slid backwards across the floor back into the room. The disruptor beam sent sparks into the air just inches away.

When Alec got back to his feet and observed the room once more he saw that there were two major differences that had occurred in the few seconds of action. The plush seat cushions had been strewn about, and the girls were each armed with energy weapons of all varieties. There was even a Varon-T disruptor, one of the most vicious weapons made.

"Uhhh, clearly you ladies don't need protection. Is there a way back to the street?"

One of the many girls spoke up. She was the most attractive that he was able to see, and that wasn't an easy opinion for him to make. Considering the Orions, that usually meant she was in charge. "At the end of the corridor, take the last door on your right. There's a ladder that leads to the rear of the building next door."

"Thanks. Would you mind helping us out by providing some cover fire?"

"It would be our pleasure." said the girl in charge. She picked out four girls from the crowd who then lined next to her in an almost military fashion. "Where do you want us?" she asked coyly, slinking her body.

_James would be in _heaven_ here._ Alec smiled and pointed towards the passageway with his phaser. "Ladies first."

"What a gentleman." she said with a wink. Evidently she was pleased with his decision. She motioned them to follow her. The four slave girls, still in their various states of undress, ventured into the corridor. Each of them gave Alec and Ty'brel a lip pucker or a wink before leaving the room.

Alec and Ty'brel wasted no time in following them out. As they ran down to the end of the corridor they kept their ears open for any commotion behind them. Aside from the echo of disruptor fire in the tavern above the only thing they heard was sultry footsteps. The Romulan had been caught of guard in the most understated meaning of the word.

They reached the final door in time to hear a brief disruptor discharge which was followed by a flurry of full disruptor fire. It was all over for Gamma.

The lead Orion called to the rest of the girls in the room. The armed posse made their way to the opposite end of the corridor where they accessed the ladder. It appeared to be time for a policing action up in the tavern.

Beyond the door was a ladder leading up just as they were told. Alec wondered what he would have found behind the other doors. How many keys to bringing down the Syndicate could he have uncovered if he had just taken a peek behind one of those doors? It was something he would have to live with. Anything besides bringing this conspiracy into the open took a back seat. When he thought about it, he considered themselves to be lucky that they were left alive by the girls.

Alec reached the top of the ladder and pressed the panel on the hatch above his head. It lowered down a few centimeters before sliding sideways into the wall of the chute. He saw the stars above and the smell of the street flooded his nostrils. Once more he removed the phaser from his shirt's inner cuff. With a push of his legs, he joined the topside world, standing on a rung and resting his back against one side of the opening. He ran his phaser along his line of site. There was nobody present aside from a scurrying rat.

"It's clear." he said to Ty'brel as he completely emerged from the chute. Alec replaced his phaser and reached a hand down into the chute, helping Ty'brel topside. The hatch closed behind him. "You'll have to ditch that disruptor somewhere. You're going to stick out if you walk around with it."

Ty'brel looked as if he were going to protest but thought twice of it. He threw the weapon into a container that was against the wall. "Where to now?"

"We have to get to the beam up site." said Alec as he led Ty'brel to the street. As the one slave girl had said, they had come out behind a building adjacent the tavern. They were not far from where they needed to go. Alec led him past the tavern at a brisk but unsuspicious pace. He did not want to be seen by anyone inside but he did not want to draw any attention by running either.

Once again Alec found himself on the street with harlots. They crossed to the other side. If he knew of another route he would have taken it but he didn't have time to cut through alleys trying to find a shortcut. Asking Ty'brel was of no use because he did not know where they were going.

A woman was calling across the street. It was the same harlot that had propositioned Alec earlier. "Yoo-hoo! Bru'Dan!"

Alec stopped dead and readied his phaser. He surveyed the surrounding block for the head of Vesuvian security. What would he be doing on Farius Prime? Maybe he wanted to oversee the death of his former president.

He completed two visual sweeps of the block but saw no sign of Bru'Dan. "Where-"

"I'm sorry, Natya." said Ty'brel. "I've got to get somewhere with my friend here."

"Aww, too bad." said Natya. She looked next to Ty'brel aka Bru'Dan and saw Alec. Her eyes widened. "I didn't know you were friends with our little Bru'Dan. I would have offered you a discount."

"Maybe next time." said Alec.

"Don't forget the wife." she said before going back to propositioning the passersby.

They walked a half block when Ty'brel broke the silence. "I see you've met Natya."

"Briefly. Bru'Dan?"

Ty'brel saw the sly grin on Alec's face. "You don't think I'd use my real name on this planet do you?"

"I understand. But why Bru'Dan?"

"I tried to choose the name of someone who would most likely frequent an area like this." Ty'brel's answer drew a belly laugh from Alec. From the sincerity of the laugh he could tell it was the first such laugh in awhile he had let out. Even though his friend was laughing, he knew what thoughts would be on his mind. "I didn't know when, if ever that I'd be able to return to my home. I didn't want to be alone. Even if the companionship cost me money."

During his two month journey back to the Alpha Quadrant, there were several instances where Alec was sure he was going to go insane being unable to hold Rene. He was tempted to duplicate her on the holodeck once or twice. But he fought the urges. He knew full well that not only would the holographic Rene not measure up, the real thing would be well worth the wait.

The desire to not be alone is one of the strongest driving forces for any living being. It was right up there with the survival instinct. Alec didn't look down on Ty'brel for what he had done, but he didn't respect him for it either.

_Let's change the subject._ The giant green oak tree that blocked the entrance to the tavern. That Orion had to be a mole. It would explain how Ty'brel had been found, why he had gotten so furious upon seeing them alive, and why he himself was still alive. Had he been a problem, the Romulans would have just killed him like they had the other two. "I know how the Romulans tracked you down."

"The Orion at the tavern entrance. I saw him looking for us too."

Alec broke stride and then walked a step faster to catch up to Ty'brel. "How..."

Ty'brel laughed, thankful for the break in tension. "The same way you did."

"You've got an analytical mind. I respect that."

"When my emotions don't take over I can be pretty perceptive."

They finally reached the alley where Alec had beamed down. He saw the broken shards from the ketracel-white vial and the puddle that had formed at the base of the wall where he smashed it. The stench of the alley once again almost overpowered him. "Here we are."

"You couldn't have picked a better spot?" asked Ty'brel, almost gagging.

"Sensors told us there was nobody in this alley. It wasn't until I beamed down that I found out why." Alec pulled his combadge from his pocket and clicked it. "Alec to Rene, two to beam up."

Transport was almost immediate. Even to that day, transporting was one of the strangest sensations Alec had ever felt. It tingled. Not just on his skin, but he felt it throughout his entire body, inside and out. Almost like a wave of goosebumps that was pumped by his bloodstream to every last part of him.

Within seconds they were standing in the small transporter chamber on the shuttle. Alec was relieved to be back on board and he was sure Rene would be glad he had returned unscathed. The incident in the bar would make for an interesting story to tell her. Although he'd omit the part about the Orion slave girls. He'd be keeping his encounter with the harlot to himself as well. Those were some of those things that he knew she'd overreact about. Although they would make good anecdotes for future poker games, when Troi and Crusher weren't there of course.

Alec led Ty'brel out of the transporter and pushed the panel on his right to open the door to the cockpit. "Honey, I'm home. Did you miss-"

He didn't have the will to speak another word. He barely had the will to stand, let alone breathe. If someone ever told him he'd one day see a more horrid site in his life he wouldn't believe it.

Sitting with her hands bound by a metal cable at the tactical station was Rene. The cable wrapped around her wrists and continued around her neck. Her eyes were swollen and red, tears streamed down her face. The tears were not for herself, but for him. Holding both ends of the cable around Rene's neck, loose enough to allow her to breathe but tautly enough to discourage her from trying to break free, was Tasmith.

"Where have you been?" said Tasmith as she hunched down and nuzzled her cheek against that of the petrified, sniffling Rene. "We've been waiting for you, haven't we?"


	16. Confrontation

Chapter 16

Confrontation

_The very sight if her so weighted me that I abandoned hope of ever climbing that mountain slope._ Alec was stuck between sheer terror and absolute rage. There was no mistaking what Rene was feeling. It was perfectly clear in her tear swelled eyes. There was nothing but pure, unadulterated fear. Tasmith seemed to feed off it. The same twisted grin was spread across her lips as when he mentioned Rene's 'pretty face' during their brief conversation in the holding cell back on Deep Space Nine.

Resisting the urge to - extreme desire even - to lunge across the cockpit and attack Tasmith stretched his will power to its very limits. The fear in Rene's eyes shot through him and chilled him to the bone. It broke his heart not being able to help her. He could almost hear her thoughts. They were crying out to him. What surprised him was the four bleeding scratch marks that ran down Tasmith's cheek. It appeared that Rene had gotten a few licks in before she was subdued.

_I won't let her hurt you._

Tasmith studied his physical reactions. He was borderline ballistic. The current situation was reminiscent of the old human saying 'catch twenty-two.' Having the woman in such a life threatening position was 'pouring fuel on the fire,' and it was currently the only thing preventing him from attacking. However, if it were just the two of them it was likely he wouldn't be so eager to start a confrontation.

Alec spoke first. "Please, let her go."

Reasoning, a typical human response to a hostage situation. They were willing to offer anything and everything, even things they were not able to give, simply to save someone they truly love. He had nothing she needed, or wanted. At least for the moment.

"Soon enough."

"How did you find us?"

"There is nowhere you can go that I won't follow."

_Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean._ He remembered his phaser, he might be able to work it out of his inner cuff. It was too risky. Tasmith was too fast, and she always seemed to be one step ahead of him. "Okay, you're here. Now what? Do we fight again? We don't have as much space as before but that'll just make it interesting. Whatever it is you want, tell me."

"Very well. Take the helm and plot a course for Vesuvia. Maximum warp."

Alec's will power lapsed for a split second and he flinched. Tasmith saw his movement and pulled the lash of her whip tighter around Rene's neck.

"Oops. Look what I've done." said the sadistic woman.

Unable to breath, Rene's eyes widened. Alec took as many steps back as he could. With his back touching the bulkhead, Tasmith loosened the lash. Rene gasped as she filled her lungs with air. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he doubted their captor would allow it.

He started towards the helm, meeting eyes with Tasmith when he was at the top of the incline. "If you harm her, I will kill you."

Tasmith ran her fingers through Rene's hair and nuzzled against her cheek once more. "He looks so cute when he threatens, doesn't he?"

Alec's blood was boiling. He continued down the incline to the helm. The force with which his fingers hit the console was almost sufficient to shatter it.

"Oh, and Alec? Don't try to be smart and take us into Federation space. My ship has been programmed to follow yours and will fire if you deviate."

_There goes that plan._ He wasn't at all surprised that she had prepared for self annihilation. She was naught for lack of insanity.

Once the ship had gone into warp, he turned back to the gut wrenching site of his terrified wife. "Let her go." Alec watched as Tasmith continued to stroke Rene's hair. "Hey!" That got her attention. "You said yourself that we'll be fired upon if we change our course. Not to mention you're on our ship. And there's only so many places we can go in here."

Tasmith tapped her finger against her chin as she considered the request. "All right."

As the pressure on her neck eased, Rene took in all the air she could. Her throat burned with exertion. Once her hands were released she was out of the chair and in Alec's arms halfway down the incline,

Tasmith motioned with her index finger for Ty'brel to come closer. It was the first time she had acknowledged him. As he neared she pointed to the tactical chair. He sat down without so much as a quiver. "Ty'brel, you probably thought that you could hide forever."

Rene lifted her head from its sanctuary and spoke for the first time, albeit with a slight but noticeable rasp. "What are you going to do with us?" The question she chose to ask was irrelevant, all she wanted to do was show she hadn't been scared into submission.

"If I were you, I would not be so eager to know my fate."

"She asked you a question." Alec turned the chair so he could look Tasmith in the eye. "Answer her."

It was a little surprising at first that he'd be talking to her in such a manner. She liked surprises. Normally she had people that knew who she was cowering in fear. But not him. Perhaps it was because he already knew what awaited him back on Vesuvia, or most likely the treatment given to his wife. Whatever the cause, it intrigued her.

"You," she said to Alec. "Will be handed over to the extremists. They won't have nearly as much fun with you as I would have were it up to me to decide your fate. As for him," she motioned to Ty'brel. "He'll be given to Bru'Dan."

"But he'll kill me." said Ty'brel.

"That is of no concern or consequence to me."

"What about me?" asked Rene.

Tasmith looked at her with lingering curiosity. "I have not decided yet."

"That's not much incentive for me to willingly take us back there, is it?" asked Alec.

Tasmith grinned at his rebellious attempt to make her reconsider. "True, but I've been at this long enough that I've become somewhat of an expert when it comes to people in your position." She sidestepped to her left, running her finger along the operations chair before leaning forward on it. "You love her, as much as I have seen any man love his woman. So long as she's alive and you believe there's a chance you can save her, you'll do everything you can to keep her that way until desperation overpowers you. I have seen it countless times, and despite your feelings you are no different. You too will act when that moment comes. And I await your effort. So save your energy with your futile attempts to outsmart me. It worked before, but not again."

Rene put her head in Alec's shoulder once more. Her captor's voice was soft, but she was so cold, and it didn't fool Rene for a second. The word inhuman came across her mind but it was so incredibly obvious that it did not apply. More disturbing than the voice and words was the smile. She had never doubted her husband's abilities, the only times she ever felt truly safe were when she was with him. But she did not see how they would all make it out of this alive.

The helm console started beeping. Alec turned to see what, if anything, was wrong. For the first time since being back on board, things had the potential to get better. A plan spurred in the back of his mind. "Is that little ship of yours going to open fire if we slow down?"

"No."

_Good._ "I have to take us out of warp. Unless you'd like me to try and maneuver through that debris field while going thousands of times the speed of light. I'm not sure I'd want to trust my reflexes."

"Do it."

"Coming out of warp."

Rene stood from his lap, knowing he'd need free movement of his hands to correctly navigate the sea of ships out there. But she held him by the elbow. She was not ready to let go of him yet.

Derelict upon derelict flew by like before. Rene didn't see them as ships but rather as symbols of the 'countless' people that Tasmith had either turned in or killed. Even her husband would have to admit that the odds were not in their favor. For whatever reason, curiosity took hold and she turned for a glimpse of their captor. On her face was the same smile. She was standing behind the ops station and glancing at the dead ships as best she could through the viewports. Rene shivered and tightened her grip on Alec's arm. Alec touched her hand and squeezed it, keeping his eyes forward and momentarily piloting with one hand.

Ty'brel was jarred by the sound from the console before him. He had only a passing familiarity with Federation technology but he believed it was communications. "Distress calls."

"Deactivate the audio alerts."

"No!" said Tasmith. It was the first time true outburst they had seen from her. She reached down to the ops station and accessed communications.

A plea for help from an unseen body cried out over the comm. _"This is the cargo vessel Mapest. We are under attack by an Orion ship. They attacked us without provocation. We have limited defensive capabilities and will not last much longer. Pleeeeease help us! This is the cargo-"_

The message repeated itself. Tasmith closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She relished in the death and destruction, feeding off it and craving it like a drug. She was a mayhem junkie, and there was an endless supply of ships out there that she could use for a fix.

She was distracted and Alec knew it. It was time for him to put his plan into action. Luckily for him, Tasmith was unaware that the Travioli had a specially designed auto navigation system - courtesy of the late James Moore - that allowed the ship to navigate debris, asteroid fields, and the like.

Unnoticed by the eyes of his captor, he took control of the life support system. Once accessed, he began to completely vent the atmosphere of the rear section until it was an airless vacuum. When that part of the plan was complete he sent a console to console message to Ty'brel. telling him to hold on tight when the signal was given and that he'd know it when he heard it.

A number of prerecorded distress calls were broadcast over the audio, each one more disturbing than the last. And that only made Tasmith happier.

The shuttle finally exited the debris field. All but Tasmith were relieved to be away from such a senseless waste of life.

"All clear." said Alec. He nudged Rene to loosen her grip on his elbow and he grasped her right hand tightly. "Oh, and Tasmith? Wait's over."

With the push of a button Alec opened the door to the rear compartment. The cabin's air rushed by him with the strength of a windstorm. It tussled his hair and made him close his eyes. His ears popped as the air pressure in the cockpit lowered. He tightened his grip on Rene's hand as she was pulled along with the atmosphere as it was equalizing throughout the ship. He turned just in time to see Rene rise into the air and Tasmith get blown through the open door into the rear.

Once the equalization was complete, Rene came to the floor. Gasping, Alec asked her if she was okay. He was dashing towards the rear as fast as he could a split second after he returned the environmental controls to normal.

He saw her kneeling on the floor. She must have been thrown against the wall by the pressure. The force with which she hit must have been enough to render a human unconscious. There was no holding back this time. He knew what he was up against.

Alec leapt from the top of the short staircase at the speed which he was able to attain, extending his right leg into a drop kick, Tasmith raised her head in time to see him coming. Her Vulcan reflexes allowed her to duck out of the way in time within inches of being hit. Alec quickly tilted his foot upwards to cushion the momentum taking him into the wall. He pushed off the wall and used the leftover momentum to pivot to his left. Once again he resorted to his favorite battle technique and swung a backhanded punch across her head on his way to the floor.

The way with which she wound up in the rear compartment - along with Alec's blow - were not being bore well by her. And he did not hesitate to take advantage of it. He moved in close and landed a combo of blows to her lower torso. Right followed left, left followed right. Her counterblows were blocked and he threw more in retaliation. He straightened his hands so they were rigid and brought them down to chop her shoulders. Her reaction was unexpectedly fast. She swung her arms up and batted his away before throwing a vicious punch to his face.

Alec reeled backward, nose bleeding and eyes watering. His vision was blurry but he saw enough of her left leg coming towards his head to block it with his right arm. Before her leg could drop he wrapped his arm around it, trapping it against his side. With his eyes now clearer he countered with the same move she just tried, only he used his right leg. And his connected. Not wanting to let her recover he propelled her leg to the right, causing her to spin. He pivoted immediately and threw a spinning round kick to the center of her back.

Tasmith stumbled forward before throwing her hands out and stopping herself on the biobed. She turned to face him. Her face was full of a rage unlike any he had seen before. _Uh oh, was I being toyed with._

The now furious woman let out a battle cry that would have frightened a wild targ. She lunged at him and threw a left. He ducked to his left to avoid it and raised his hands to his face in order to block her jumping right knee. Her rising left knee caught him in the jaw. Even as he was still reeling from that, her left fist caught him upside the head.

Alec fell to the floor. Lying on his back he looked up and saw the bottom of her foot coming down. With an almost silent gasp he rolled clear and got on all fours. Instead of standing up he stayed down and spun his leg out, sweeping hers from under her. He continued the spin and struck her head with his other leg as she hit the floor.

Back on her feet, Tasmith reached to her side for her weapon and extended the staff. Alec's katana wasn't within reach and he would have been hit with a myriad of blows by the time he reached it. He ducked to avoid a swing to his head and jumped to avoid one to his legs. Her staff was then coming down at him. He held out his hands and caught it, clenching his teeth through the stings like hell pain and doing his best to ignore it.

A realization hit him. As strong as Tasmith was, he was still bigger, weighing roughly two and a half times more than her. Despite her superior strength she was still subject to the laws of physics.

Alec swiftly pulled the staff down. With one hand at the end, he gripped the staff further towards the center with his other and - using his own show of strength for a change - lifted her off the deck. Even as her feet were leaving the floor he started to spin. Once some momentum had been built up he released his grip on the staff and watched as she landed on the biobed and rolled off the side to the floor.

Alec headed right for his katana in the storage cage, feeling much better having it in his hands. He unsheathed it and turned in time to stop her staff, which was coming right at him. A high pitched clang rattled his eyes in unison with the vibrating sword in his hands. They were both under strain, wrenching their weapons together.

Something happened that churned his hope and fueled his fire. He saw a bead of sweat roll down her temple. She didn't seem like she was used to sweating very often. It pleased him to know he was making her work for her prize.

The lower end of her staff struck his right knee. His balance wobbled and he dropped to one knee. Her staff batted against his sword in an attempt to knock it from his hand, but his grip was too firm. He rolled away from another swing which would have caught the top of his head.

The rear of the shuttle was too small for her to use her whip and he was extremely grateful for that.

From a crouch he leapt at her. With his katana held firmly in his right hand he took a horizontal inside slash. She saw him coming and spun away. They stood there facing each other, weapons at the ready. For a moment he thought he had missed her, but a trace of green on the tip of his katana and a steady patter drew his eyes to the deck by her feet. A small puddle of green blood had begun to form. It came from a laceration on her lower torso. The material of her garment had contracted upon being cut, exposing the bleeding wound. The odds favored that he'd draw blood sooner or later.

Alec felt like he was getting a private viewing of the past, a glimpse back into when violent, primeval emotions ruled the Vulcan psyche, before the logical teachings of Surak. Until now, Tasmith had maintained the cool, calm persona of a Vulcan - aside from the war cry. Rage, anger, hatred, wrath, all appeared within her grasp now. Her Klingon half appeared to be emerging. With the war cry, he had gotten just a preview of her Klingon fury, now he was going to get the full show.

She was stronger and faster, but unstable, angry, and bleeding. He was still calm, and his nose had stopped bleeding. He had the edge so far as he was concerned, although he'd have some bruises of his own to show for it later.

Tasmith struck quickly. He parried her staff and pushed it away, taking another one handed inside slash, this time with his right. His own speed surprised him. Tasmith leaned back to avoid the singing blade. Something fluttered through the air, it was some of her hair. Speed was no longer one of her advantages.

He tried his one handed luck once more. Third time was not so lucky. She caught his downswinging arm by the wrist and struck him in the side with her staff. He grit his teeth and took the blow but held his staff there with his arm in the same fashion he held her leg before. Tasmith thrust forward in an attempt to head butt him. Alec sidestepped to the right and pivoted to his left, connecting his elbow with the back of her skull. She released his wrist and dropped her staff.

Tasmith sensed him coming up behind her and used her momentum to approach the wall and flip backwards off it, landing behind him. She reached over and under his arms and locked her fingers behind his neck, planting him against the wall. _She put me in a goddamned full nelson!_

Alec planted his feet on the wall and pushed as hard as he could. She was forced away from the wall and released him. He landed on his feet and threw a kick backwards into her gut. His katana was slicing down as he turned. Tasmith had a surprise reserve of speed. She ducked and dodged a myriad of his lunges and swipes. He swung downward once more, certain it would be the killing blow. But Tasmith caught the blade between the palms of her hands.

_Knows better than the Borg Queen._ Alec tried wrenching it free but she was not letting go. _Okay._ He took one hand off his sword and moved in closer, laying a chop on her still bleeding wound, knowing that if he kept doing it she'd have to let go. By the fourth blow his hand was slick with blood. She let go on the fifth. Even though she had superior endurance she was still tiring, and he wasn't at peak either. His muscles burned with exertion, and he could feel the sweat that soaked through his shirt. He was running on adrenaline.

Tasmith stood near the opening of the storage cage. Alec saw an opportunity to end this fight and he was going to take it. A knowingly futile attempt took the form of a one handed downswing of his katana's butt end. Tasmith caught his arm by the wrist again as he suspected she would. But this time when she grabbed his wrist she bent it backwards. She held it at the point where any more force would result in broken bone. He believed it was her way of saying 'that didn't work before so what makes you think it would work this time?'

Alec wasn't in the mood for a broken wrist so he released his grip on his katana. It clattered on the floor as he threw himself at Tasmith. With all he had left he picked her up and carried her at full speed into the storage cage, slamming her into the wall as hard as he could. He immediately leapt backward and slid the cage shut, engaging the locking mechanism as it closed and smashing the control panel.

Out of relief and exhaustion, Alec fell to the floor. _I can't believe she put me in a full nelson!_ The cage was made of tritanium, there was no way she was getting out unless someone let her out and that would be difficult with the control panel in its current condition.

There was a uniform tunic on an adjacent shelf, she held it against her wound. "Impressive." she said. "You cut me sooner than expected."

"Your confidence in me means so much." he said dryly, and with a touch of venom.

"You should have killed me."

_You don't think I tried?!_ Alec tasted blood, he spat it through the cage at her feet. "What can I say? I'm a man of morals."

Tasmith hopped onto the shelf and leaned back, still holding the tunic to her wound. "Do you think that's enough to keep her alive?"

"I guess we'll find out."

She threw the tunic away and leaned against the cage. "The cell on that space station couldn't hold me, and it had a forcefield. What makes you think this one will?"

Alec picked up his sword and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the blood off the tip. "I'm willing to bet that was equal parts Jones' stupidity and you. Well... 80/20 in his favor. I understand you left him alive."

"I wouldn't have taken his life for double the price that's on your head." she said with what Alec thought was disgust. "A man like that deserves to live with what he is."

For once he agreed with her. Jones was beneath the junkie that tried to rob him on Farius Prime.

This was probably the closest thing the two of them would come to having a civilized conversation. But he knew the second she was out of that cage the fighting would resume, and she'd recover faster than he would. "You never answered my question."

Her smile never ceased to give him the creeps. "Which one was that?"

"How did you find us?"

She held her chin as thought in thought. "You're right, I didn't answer."

"_How?!"_

"Testy, aren't you?"

"I'm not in the mood for this."

Tasmith laughed, almost cackling. "And what could you do?"

_That's what I'd like to know._ "The life support fails back here so easily. It would be such a tragedy if that were to happen while you were trapped in there."

"I'd expect more than such an idle threat coming from a man of your caliber."

"It won't seem so idle when you're suffocating."

"Ooh, better." she said, feigning chills. "You won't kill me in cold blood, your honour won't allow it."

"I'd consider it preemptive self-defense."

"You bore me."

"One last time." he said. "How'd you find us?"

"Run along little rabbit." she said, shooing him with her fingers. "The fox is tired of this game." Tasmith closed her eyes as if meditating.

He wasn't getting any more out of her. When a woman didn't want to talk she wasn't going to say a word. Rene had taught him that several, several times. And if Rene was impossible to break, than Tasmith would be whatever was beyond impossible.

Alec could not let the question go. It was imperative he find out how Tasmith found him. She had found them on Deep Space Nine because Jones decided to 'do his job,' but that didn't explain how she found them this time. He would have to run a diagnostic on the holoprojectors to make sure nothing was showing through. Even if that was the case he wasn't sure what he could do. Repairing Cardassian holoprojectors wasn't exactly one of his talents. And it was unlikely either of his companions had the necessary skill. Even if Tasmith knew how to repair it he could safely rule her out as a willing aide.

He picked up the scabbard and sheathed his katana. An unlikely possibility made him shake his head in dismissal, but he had to consider it. _It can't be._ He called out to the cockpit. "Ty'brel, can you come back here? And bring my tricorder."

The Vesuvian promptly entered the rear compartment. He smiled when he saw their captor turned prisoner trapped in the cage. A few steps from the small staircase his left foot lost traction and slid forward. Alec helped him stay on his feet. Ty'brel looked back and saw a green liquid on the floor. He saw several more such spots like it, some larger, some smaller.

Alec noticed Ty'brel's ponderous looks. "Blood."

"I don't see much of yours."

"She got the worst of it."

"This time." said Tasmith from her cell.

"Excuse me," said Alec as he turned to face her. Her eyes were still closed. "But we've faced each other twice, and both times you've wound up the prisoner."

"Too much pride can kill a man." she almost sang the words.

"I'm still alive aren't I?"

"I repeat my previous statement. When I get out of here, and I will get out of here, you will learn why it would have been easier for you to come with me when you had the chance."

_Whatever._ Alec turned back to Ty'brel and pointed at the tricorder in his hand. "Have you ever used one of those before?"

The tricorder opened in Ty'brel's hand with a click as he held it in Alec's direction. "Elevated heartrate and blood pressure, some internal bleeding, endorphin level above average."

"Well done. Anything that can't be guessed just by looking at me?"

Ty'brel chuckled as he closed the scanning device. "I have enough experience with my own technology that I should be able to figure out yours."

"I need you to scan every square inch of this compartment. There might be a tracking device in here."

"How could anyone have put one aboard without your knowledge?"

"I don't know. The only time both Rene and I were off the ship was back on Deep Space Nine. It's not likely there's a mole on board that station but I have to consider the possibility."

"I should hope that's not the case, there's nothing worse than a traitor." Ty'brel had Bru'Dan in mind when he spoke. He turned towards the cage. Tasmith was looking at him with morbid curiosity. "What about in there?"

"We'll come to that later." said Alec as he made his way to the staircase. He heard the electronic humming of the tricorder as Ty'brel opened it again.

Rene sat at the helm, her elbows were on the console and her face was in her hands. He heard no sobbing. She had either just finished crying or was about to. This was one of the reasons he didn't want her to come along. She could do without the worry. But she would have been worrying anyway. Even though she would not have had specifics, she still would have been worried by the 'what if' factor. And although he would rather she be somewhere safe he was glad she was along, he needed the love and support.

Alec stepped to her side and put a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay." The rasp was not as noticeable, but it was still there. She lifted her head from her hands. Her eyes were no longer red, and were less swollen than they had been when he first saw her in Tasmith's hold. She had not cried anymore at all. Maybe she had reached her limit. "Alec, I just sat here for the last few minutes wondering who was going to be coming out from the back. Do you have any idea how long those minutes were?"

"It didn't go any faster for me back there, or when I saw you with that thing wrapped around your neck." His voice almost choked.

"I'm not trying to pick a fight." she said. Her eyes were full of honesty and her voice full of sorrow. "I just want this all to be _over!_ I want to hold my children!"

He rushed to her side and knelt down, taking hold of both her hands in his. They were shaking. "I know, I do too. And it will be soon. I promise."

Rene leaned down and kissed the top of his head - ignoring the sweat - before resting hers on top. "I hope you gave her a good smack for me."

Nobody had the ability to make him laugh like his wife. She could be so random at times whether it be serious one moment and joking the next. It was a welcome release from tension. "I landed a few in your favor."

"Just a few? I mean that little to you?"

"If you want I can let her out and the two of you can have a go."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Two attractive women fighting each other for dominance. What's not to like?"

Rene pulled her hand free and slapped Alec on top of the head. Even though it was of above average force it was still in a playful manner.

"You could maybe even get an outfit like hers." A slap to the top of his head evolved into a punch to the shoulder. It would have hurt less had he not just been through his recent physical ordeal. "We could have it back at Deep Space Nine. Quark could sell tickets."

Rene pushed him down to the floor. He lay there laughing, not even attempting to right himself. "So," she said. "Is she prettier than me?"

_OH MY GOD!_ "That's what I call a loaded question. Every answer is a phaser set to kill."

"I see." said Rene as she pouted and turned the chair to face the main viewport. "If you think she is just say so."

_What's next? Asking me if a dress makes you look fat?_ Alec took hold of the chair and swiveled it so Rene was facing him again. She was still pouting. It was cute. "Here's what I think. When the universe ends and collapses in on itself it will be remembered for three things. Cockroaches, the name Enterprise, and the beauty of Rene Wilson."

"So I'm third?"

"I...Wha... I just can't win with you."

"Took you long enough to figure that out, honey."

Ty'brel could feel the eyes of the imprisoned woman watching every move he made. The back of his neck burned from her searing stare.

He did not know much about her, only that she was a Vulcan/Klingon bounty hunter, and that she was highly favored by the Romulan woman, Sela. During the conversation he had eavesdropped he had heard Sela say Tasmith owed some kind of blood debt and that until it was fulfilled her twisted sense of honour forced her to serve the Empire. He was going to share this with Alec as soon as he had a chance.

"Has he promised to protect you?" she asked, her voice laden with amusement.

He ignored her, which would have most likely been the best way to irritate her but he didn't care. He just wanted to scan the compartment and get back to the others.

"Because if he did I can assure you that your faith in his is misplaced. In seventy years, I have played this game almost three thousand times. And all of them ended up the same way."

Normally a figure such as three thousand wouldn't have seemed so mind-boggling, but three thousand people subdued by a single individual; it wasn't mind-boggling, it was just short of earth-shattering.

Ty'brel tried his best to seem unaffected by her words but he was sure that his anxiety manifested itself in one way or another.

"Oh, a quiet one. My favourite. You always scream the loudest before you beg for your lives."

"Pardon my saying so," said Ty'brel as he turned his head to her and continued to scan. "But you're still in the cage."

Tasmith looked around the storage locker as if sizing up her confines. "A minor setback."

"Is that what you call being trapped like an animal?" Ty'brel came to the conclusion he was better off not matching gazes with her so he put his eyes back on the tricorder. There was still nothing.

Tasmith was grateful he removed his stare from her. Not that she was worried she couldn't intimidate him, she just needed his attention elsewhere. While he was preoccupied with the tricorder with the tricorder, she reached into her cleavage and removed the decoy. It was small, only a few centimeters in diameter, but it would serve its purpose well. She eyed an area that he hadn't scanned yet and in one fluid motion she flung through the mesh cage watching it cling against the wall. Upon impact the tiny cloaking device inside activated and it disappeared from view.

She hopped off the shelf and held her body against the cage, gripping the mesh in her fingers. "Would he still have your confidence if I told you that the only reason I have wound up imprisoned the two times we faced each other is because he cheated?"

"Cheated, eh?" Ty'brel had almost finished his scan. Nothing yet. "More like improvised. He can think and fight, that makes an excellent combination for a warrior. After seeing what he did back on Farius Prime there's nothing that can break my confidence in him." He hoped that would keep her quiet, but he wouldn't get his hopes up.

The tricorder in his hand moved to the next wall. He was beginning to think it had all been a futile effort, that there was no tracking device and she was simply an incredibly skilled tracker. If not for the faint signal he detected as the tricorder moved along the wall he might have believed it. About halfway up the wall the scanning device picked up a small blip, it came from one spot and one spot alone. He had found the path they had swath in the mud.

"Commander, I think you'll want to see this."

Alec emerged from the doorway and jumped down the short staircase. He stepped around the spots of blood so as not to slip as Ty'brel had done. "What have you got?"

Ty'brel closed his tricorder. "Run your hand down the center of the wall."

Alec shrugged and did as he was told. Starting near the top of the wall he ran his flat palmed hand down the wall. Nothing felt out of the ordinary until his hand reached midway down the wall. It was a small, almost unnoticeable protuberance. He pulled his hand away to make sure he wasn't imagining things. To his relief he saw nothing there. Once more he placed his hand on the wall, feeling the bump.

"Somebody's been working on their cloaking technology." said Alec as he took his katana from the biobed behind him and unsheathed it. He held the very tip of the blade against the wall underneath the invisible tracking device. With a swift push upwards he dislodged it from its holdings. The now visible object now clung to the blade of his sword. He didn't have to look at its internal workings to know it was a sophisticated piece of technology. The fact that such a small device could cloak itself was indicative enough of its sophistication.

"How can she track it from such a distance if the signal is so faint?" asked Ty'brel.

"It's only faint to our tricorder. Whatever she is using to hone in on this thing must be specifically calibrated to track it." Alec pulled the tracker from his sword and held it out to Tasmith. "How'd this get on board?" His question went unanswered, which was not a complete surprise, but it was definitely irritating. "I'm taking your silence to mean you know." He sheathed his sword and replaced it on the biobed before retrieving Tasmith's staff from the floor. "Something's been on my mind."

"And what might that be?" she asked, still seemingly bored.

He placed the tracker on one of the staff's round ends. With a strong thrust he crushed the device against the wall. It ceased functioning with a faint electrical crackle. "Which one of your egos was bruised more?" It was his turn to be smug. "Your Klingon ego because I matched you physically? Or your Vulcan ego because I outsmarted you?"

"The question still remains," said Ty'brel. "How'd it get aboard?"

"Actually," mused Alec. "I have a more interesting question."

"What's that?"

"How did she know you were in hiding?"

Ty'brel's eyes widened as he realize that Alec was right, she had said that.

A jolt throughout the entire ship threw them off balance making both men grab hold of the biobed to maintain their balance.

"Alec!" screamed a frantic Rene from the cockpit.

He was out of the rear compartment and standing next to his wife so fast he was sure there'd be a need for a new time measurement for it. Rene's gaze was frozen on the main viewport. If Alec didn't know better he would have tought she was a statue. In a moment he was doing a fine impersonation as saw for himself what had captured her attention. A massive green form filled the viewport. The giant curved beak and double hulled wings of a Romulan Warbird had frozen them down to their souls. It looked much smaller on the viewscreen of a starship. _When Cerberus noticed us, he opened wide his mouths, showed us his fangs; there was no part of him that did not twitch. Level five._


	17. Answers

Chapter 17

Answers

What Alec had thought was weapons fire was actually the tractor beam of the Warbird, holding them like a dog on a leash. They were immobilized, helpless. Their shields could not be raised and their weapons were no match for the shields of the Romulan ship. The one saving grace was that they were wanted alive, for now anyway. If the Romulan commander wanted to destroy them, he or she would not have engaged the tractor beam but rather opened fire.

According to the secondary console on Alec's left, the tractor beam was destabilizing the holoprojection. In a matter of moments it failed completely and any doubts as to their identities in the minds of the Romulans would have disappeared like their cover.

His progress in the command post back on Vesuvia must have been monitored, or his crewmates found his presents to them.

Alec felt a tingling sensation throughout his entire body. _Oh no._ He wished he could have blamed it on anxiety, but he knew it was because the Romulans had engaged their transporter. He reached out to Rene but took hold of nothing but air.

He materialized in a dimly lit room. He couldn't see much, but he did see three chairs. Also present were Ty'brel and Rene. Three chairs, three prisoners. "Everyone alright?"

"I think you know my answer." said Rene.

"I could venture a guess. Ty'brel?"

"I'll be better when they turn up the lights."

As if on cue the lights grew brighter. But it was not what they had hoped for. A set of doors had opened behind them and the light from the corridor and cast in. Two humanoid shaped shadows appeared with the light. Alec about faced and saw two Romulan officers in the typical garb of those in the Guard. They were fast approaching.

Alec did not move as quickly as he had hoped. He had not fully recovered from his fight with Tasmith and it showed. As he rushed the Romulans he was quickly turned around and clubbed in the back with the butt of a disruptor. His body went numb for a moment and he was placed in one of the chairs. The feeling came back in his hands as they were being put in shackles. The others were seated and shackled as well, neither offered a struggle. In fact, Rene sat herself.

In and out of consciousness he drifted. Each time he grew cognizant enough to realize where he was the cloud of unconsciousness floated back in. His eyes finally opened and stayed open.

He made no effort to free himself from his restraints. Romulans built their equipment to last. _All this way. I've gotten this far to be captured by the Romulans._

"Where's my Romulan buddy that hit me? I'd like to have a four letter word with him."

"Alec!" exclaimed Rene in the chair to his immediate right. "You've been in and out of consciousness for about an hour."

"Glad to see you awake, my friend." said Ty'brel, who was seated on Alec's far right.

"And I'm glad to see they haven't taken either of you anywhere."

"Yet." said a grim Ty'brel.

"I won't let them."

"And how will you stop them?"

"Chair fu." Alec heard no laughter from his joke.

He forced his mind to focus. He wanted to be as clear headed as possible for whatever the Romulans had in store for him. A specific thing was needed to focus his thoughts. He chose his children. Seeing them grow up, make friends, quarrel with each other for parental attention, going on dates, asking advice about girls or boys, possibly entering Starfleet, getting married, having children of their own. _I'm awake._

The door opened and a single figure walked in. The light from the corridor hurt Alec's eyes. He winced until the doors closed and the darkness was restored. He opened his eyes and focused them on the figure that stood before him in the dim overhead light. _Her nature is so squalid, so malicious that she can never sate her greedy will; when she has fed, she's hungrier than ever. She mates with many living souls and shall yet mate with meny more, until the Greyhound arrives, inflicting painful death on her._

"What would you be smiling at?" he asked.

"You." she said, circling the chair. "Our positions are reversed, as I knew they would be."

He felt like a hawk was circling over his head. It was reminiscent of his experience with the Borg Queen, only Tasmith was much more intimidating. "I must admit, I thought that you'd be in there a little longer. And I'm a little curious as to why you're walking freely on a Romulan ship."

Ty'brel wanted to respond but he felt it best to stay out of it. He was sure the answers would all be forthcoming.

Tasmith completed one last circle of Alec's chair before stopping to face him. The dim light combined with her cold features, cruel smile and calculating stare made her appear that much more threatening. "You have no idea what's going on here, do you?"

"If there's much more I just might have to write a book about it."

Tasmith did not reply. She just paced back and forth in front of him. When she opened her mouth as if to speak she closed it just as quickly. And in an unexpected move she sat herself in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. _Rene won't pleased. This is her favourite._

"Take your hands off of my husband, right now."

"You can have him back when I'm through." said Tasmith. She then leaned forward and whispered into his ear. He found what she had to say more disconcerting than informative. "What you think you know, is only a shred."

She placed her left hand on his face and spread her fingers at equidistant points below his eye. He knew what she was doing and he was not eager to experience it. He jerked away but she reached to the back of his head with her right and grabbed a handful of his hair, wrenching his head back. There was no way out of it.

He looked into her eyes, and she looked back. She was enjoying every second of it.

"Your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts. Our minds are merging, our minds are becoming one."

When she spoke the word 'merging' he could begin to hear the rest inside his head. If he had not been forced into it he might have found it a pleasurable experience, but instead he felt violated. There were things inside his head he would rather not share with anyone, especially a psychotic killing machine.

It was almost overwhelming at first. The flood of images that flashed before his mind's eye was something he couldn't even begin to describe. The only way he could ever express what it was even remotely like was if he was able to transmit his thoughts to others. He saw faces he'd never seen, places he'd never been, but he knew who and where they all were. He could recite each and every one of their names, their places of birth, next of kin, and the bounties on their heads.

His inkling to take a look inside the mind of a maniac didn't extend this far.

"Remember back," said Tasmith, her words echoing inside his head. "Go back to the cave, when you fired on her."

It was almost a reflex action. He was back in the cave on Vesuvia. But he wasn't seeing it through his eyes as the event repeated itself. He stood there in the darkness watching himself enter the cavern with a phaser in hand. It was almost as if he had stepped through a doorway to the past. His first instinct was to call out to himself, but he fought it.

Although he did not see the cave in this detail during his initial journey, he did see it in subsequent return visits. His mind did the rest.

History played itself out once more. He heard the crunching of footsteps in the dirt and faced the entrance from where the impostor would appear. The crunch of the dirt ceased as the figure stopped at the threshold. Alec stepped closer to the figure as his past self told it to stop. Going nearer did not have the desired effect. Instead of getting a clearer image of the person, it became more out of focus. It felt like he was zooming in on a picture without computer enhancement. Unpixelated was the appropriate term to him.

Alec swore at himself for not thinking about it. Because he never got a better look at the figure until after he opened fire his mind couldn't fill in the pieces. He backed up to what he thought was a good median position and stayed there.

But it came as no surprise as he was simply watching his own memory of what happened. If the hallucinogen that he had been subject to had caused him to see a group of Ferengi performing the Nutcracker ballet, he would see it again here.

From the distance he stood there was enough detail for him to see that it was in fact a Jem'Hadar soldier. His eyes had not played tricks in him, but the question of whether or not he had taken in some kind of hallucinogen was raised again. If he had there was no way to tell now as anything that had once been administered or ingested would have long since passed from his system.

The Jem'Hadar reached to his side. Alec heard his past self shout an order for identification. The echo of his voice was supplanted by the soldier's polaron disruptor charging. From that point on, everything moved in slow motion, literally. His past self moved at roughly on quarter normal speed. He fired his phaser and Alec tracked the movement of the beam. He followed it, and followed it. When it neared the Jem'Hadar time slowed once more, and what Alec saw next was shocking enough that even if Tasmith hadn't joined their minds she would have been able to feel it.

The mind remembers everything it witnesses but doesn't always process what it sees. Sometimes it just needs a little coaxing to release what it holds.

Instead of impacting with the soldier's body, the beam passed through an opening that had formed in the torso. Alec could see the wall behind the soldier before the hole closed in on itself. Time sped back up to its normal flow as the soldier fell. Alec walked next to his past self in approaching the body. He heard something he did not hear the first time. Maybe it was because he had been focused on other things originally, or it might have been Tasmith falsifying it in his mind, either one was possible. As much as he hated to admit it, he suspected it was the former. As maniacal as she was, she had not deceived him thus far and had nothing to gain by misleading him. He heard the oozing sound which he had previously associated with the underground stream, but he now related it to a much more convincing and revelatory conclusion. One which everything else should have led him to. There was never a hallucinogen in his system. Everything he saw was exactly as it had been. The cold, hard truth disturbing sometimes.

The meld was broken. Alec leaned his head back and gasped. His mind felt empty now, so quiet. He longed for contact once again, but it faded quickly, and he was glad. He had a feeling it would have had the same effect as a drug addiction.

"A changeling." he gasped. His mental exhaustion gave way to physical manifestations. "They used a changeling."

"Very impressive." said a smug, booming voice from the entrance of the room.

Alec looked around the person on his lap at the voice addressing him. He saw that the archway was occupied by not one, but two Romulans. He had never seen the woman before, but he knew by her appearance that she was Sela. He knew the man who addressed him, by his reputation and by his face, which he had seen only on a viewscreen two years before. The two of them together could only mean one thing: Bad news for the Federation.

Captain Anderson paced nervously on the bridge of his ship. The Akira-Class was more than adequate when it came to combat capability, but no captain, regardless of starship class, would be eager to intercept a cloaked Romulan ship on the Neutral Zone alone.

At thirty-eight years of age, Anderson believed himself to be roughly halfway through his Starfleet career. His time in the Dominion War had been as hard as anybody's, and it bestowed him some prematurely gray hair around the ears. In his mind it made him look distinguished.

His ship had been among those that made the final push to defeat the Dominion at Cardassia Prime. Before repairs and refits all that had been left of her were a few photon torpedoes, some tattered bulkheads, and a very tired crew.

With the ship at yellow alert he ordered his helmsman, a junior lieutenant by the name of Joseph Roth, to drop out of warp and maintain a speed of one quarter impulse along the border.

Roth was one of the many young officers that were rushed out of the academy and into service when the Dominion threat required every able bodied person behind the console of a starship. The Falcon was his first posting, and he didn't want any other, even the service-wide coveted Enterprise. He had a reputation as a bit of a hothead at first but he was cut some slack due to the fact that he hadn't fully completed his Academy training. There was nobody else Captain Anderson would rather have piloting his ship.

Commander Jeffrey Watson sat at Anderson's immediate right. He ordered a system status report as the ship dropped to impulse. As first officer, he had nothing but the highest standards by which he expected the crew to meet. He was not the most social man off duty, despite the Captain's request that he get to know the crew better. His reasoning was that he was preparing himself for the distance required when he attained captaincy.

Lieutenant Commander Allison Harris stood behind Captain Anderson and Commander Watson at the tactical station. She inherited the chief of security position when her predecessor was killed during the Federation invasion of the Chin'Toka system. She didn't feel quite ready to assume the position at first but neglected to mention anything to her superiors because she feared it would hold back her career. But thanks to the efficiency of those she worked with on the bridge she was able to weather through it and subsequently erased any doubts she had of her own abilities.

"We are holding steady at one quarter impulse, per captain's orders." said Roth.

"Distance and time to intercept with the anomaly."

"1.5 million kilometers," answered Harris. "Approximately eighty seconds until we reach it."

"Maintain course and speed." said Anderson. "I want to know the second sensor readings change."

An interstellar dust cloud stood in her path. She pushed through it and the particles fluttered away like spacial confetti. The ship emerged on the other side with her deuterium tanks slightly refilled by the amount of matter taken in by the Bussard collectors.

The Falcon reached her destination with a considerable amount of space dust close behind, dragged and pushed along by inertia.

"Pardon my asking, Captain," said Ensign Valek, the Vulcan science officer. "But why did you take the ship through the dust cloud rather than around it?"

"Two reasons. It was quicker, and I wanted to perform a little test."

Rather than inquire further, the Vulcan heeded the advice of his father, who was a Starfleet captain. He was told that human captains had a tendency to be annoyed when their decisions were questioned. He did not want his commanding officer to be agitated with him so early in his career.

"What kind of test, sir?" asked Watson.

"Patience, Commander." said Anderson. "I'd like to hold off making myself look like a fool in case the test fails."

Harris looked at her sensor display. Her proximity scans registered a distortion off the bow. "Anomaly is directly ahead, Captain. Three hundred kilometers."

"On screen."

The viewscreen clicked on and the infinite field of stars appeared. Nothing was out of the ordinary that they could see, but the eyes couldn't always be trusted.

"Sensor scan, sir?" asked Valek.

"Not just yet, Ensign. But keep a fix on the anomaly."

The bridge crew sat there in anticipation of whatever their commanding officer intended. They knew from experience that while some of his methods were unorthodox they also had the tendency to work more often than not. As a result they found themselves supporting rather than doubting.

A portion of the dust cloud they passed through came into view on the screen as the inertia carried it past the ship.

"Dust cloud moving at a rate of approximately nine kilometers per second." said Valek.

"We'll give my test another thirty seconds or so."

"And then what, sir?" asked Watson.

Anderson turned to his first officer and grinned. "And then we'll know if I'm a fool or not."

Everyone counted down the seconds in their heads. It was a little exciting. Even Valek was curious, though not necessarily excited.

The thirty seconds expired with everyone but Valek on the edge of their seats. There were a few groans of disappointment as nothing happened, but Captain Anderson simply kept his eyes on the viewscreen. He was often a quiet man, one who didn't express much pride when he was right, but they knew he was loving it inside.

"Captain," said Harris, her eyes on her proximity sensors. "It moved."

"Confirmed." said Valek, watching his own sensors. "The anomaly has moved fifty kilometers to starboard."

Anderson chuckled and stood from his chair. "Open a channel."

"Hailing frequencies open, sir."

"Romulan vessel. This is Captain Charles Anderson of the Federation starship Falcon. You are on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone. As you are aware, this could be considered a hostile act, especially because you are cloaked. It is my assumption that you have simply suffered a navigational error. If you decloak your ship perhaps we can assist you in being on your way. End transmission."

Roth was more preoccupied with the way his captain uncovered the cloaked ship than with the actual discovery of it. By using the dust cloud to their advantage, Captain Anderson put the Romulans in a no win situation. If they had stayed still, the dust cloud would have partially covered their ship and they would have been spotted. If they moved, they were taking a chance they'd be discovered when their signature changed positions as well. He hoped one day to posses cunning such as that.

"Captain," said a puzzled Watson. "I don't understand. We caught them on our side and you just gave them a way out of it."

"Exactly, Commander." Anderson reseated himself, keeping his eyes on the viewscreen. "By doing that I made it so they didn't have to feel like they had their backs to the wall. With diplomacy I may have just avoided the dogs of war. They're not stupid, and they know we're not either. In most cases I think you'll find they know what we're doing."

"Captain," said Harris. "I'm detecting a chroniton surge directly ahead. They're decloaking."

Anderson watched a small distortion flicker in the center of the viewscreen. Within moments, the Romulan ship became fully visible as its cloaking device was deactivated. "Any response to our hails?"

"No, si... Cancel that." she said with a smile. "They're responding now. Audio only."

"On speakers."

"_Federation starship. This is Commander Kardan. We must apologize for our lateness in replying. Our communications system as well as our navigational array were damaged in an ion storm. We thank you for your offering of assistance. My engineer will contact you shortly."_

"Message ends." said Harris. She took the opportunity to tie her hair back in a ponytail so it wasn't obstructing.

"Now they're probably sabotaging their equipment." grumbled Watson.

"It would not be the first time the Romulans have partaken in such a deception." offered Valek.

"If it helps avoid a war," said Roth. "Let them sabotage their ship as much as they want."

Commander Kardan was furious at Subcenturion Nolak, his bridge engineer. It was him who was responsible for the engine imbalance that caused them to be discovered. The young officer did not dare say that the error was not his fault and that it simply came out of nowhere. That was a surefire way to get shipped back to Romulus, and he did not want to go through the training process again.

Kardan had to give his counterpart credit for the tactic he employed with the dust cloud. Even as they detected the Starfleet ship passing through the dust cloud he did not understand. Not until the cloud was almost upon them did he realize that they had no other choice but to risk moving the ship.

Kardan ordered the cloak disengaged. The best way to proceed at the current time was to make it seem like everything was in fact a complete accident, despite the fact that the tone of the Starfleet captain's voice indicated he believed the contrary.

"If this problem isn't fixed soon, it will be _you_ who answers to the Sela, not I."

"Yes, Commander." said Nolak as he nervously tried to fix the engine imbalance. He couldn't understand it. The engines were working perfectly. They just started increasing emissions.

Kardan glared at the ship on the viewscreen. The main deflector dish on the underside of the Starfleet vessel glared back at him like an ominous eye.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Subcommander Stoval, the first officer. "We should destroy them."

"Know your place. Even if we were capable of destroying them, Starfleet takes the destruction of one of its ships very seriously, no matter how insignificant. They would send another ship, and another, and another, until they found out why this one was lost right on the Neutral Zone. Their search would lead them inexorably to us."

Stoval clenched his fist. He had held the same rank in the chain of command for several years. He wanted a ship of his own, but his commanding officer told the Romulan Guard that he was not ready. "The fact remains that we cannot allow any of them to come on board. They might find the weapon if they do."

It was not the first time Kardan and his first officer clashed. The only reason Kardan kept him on board was that in spite of his often insubordinate attitude, he would make a good commanding officer. Occasionally, they even saw eye to eye. "On that we agree, I have no intention of letting Starfleet step one foot on my ship. As soon as the engine emissions are reduced to standard we will rid ourselves of that ship out there and cross the border somewhere else."

Nolak would have been able to do his job quicker if it were possible to shut down the engine core, but the artificial quantum singularity that powered the ship was on to stay.

He was in the middle of performing his duty when a jolt sent his hand to the adjacent panel. He watched as the activation process for the dilithium weapon went through the motions.

Kardan eased his grip on the armrest of his chair. "What was that?"

Nolak brought up a systems report on his console. What happened to the ship was non-threatening. "The inertial dampers lapsed for an instant. The ship was momentarily susceptible to the force of our thrusters."

"Is this another one of your blunders, Subcenturion?"

"It was my doing." answered Stoval. He was clearly proud of himself. "To make our false predicament more believable."

Kardan rubbed his thumb along the disruptor the disruptor in his side holster. "You did that without my authorization."

Stoval saw his commanding officer stroking his sidearm. Commander Kardan wouldn't kill him. Or would he? "Commander, my intentions were-"

"I_ know_ what your intentions are, Stoval." Kardan stood from the command chair and moved towards his defiant first officer. His hand now simply rested atop the disruptor. "And if you ever do anything like that without my authorization again I will use every personal connection I have in the Guard to make sure you remain a Junior Subcenturion for the rest of your career. You will serve on the lowliest ship in the lowliest sector of the Empire and will never command a ship of your own. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Commander." Stoval was tempted to reach for his own weapon, but he knew Kardan would shoot him in an instant if he made such an action.

"Good. Go down to the engine room. I want an update report."

"But, Commander, Nolak is the bridge engineer."

"I said you."

Stoval muttered a Klingon curse word he picked up under his breath and left the bridge. He didn't like being talked down to by anyone, even his commanding officer.

Nolak watched as the dilithium weapon gradually came online. In minutes it would reach full power. And although it would not do anything to the Starfleet vessel, with the cloaking device deactivated the power readings would soon be detectable.

"They're sure taking their sweet time over there." said Commander Watson. He had tried several times to get comfortable in his chair but he had been less than successful.

"Makes you wonder what they're doing over there." said Roth as he turned his chair to face the rest of the bridge. It was such a different view for him that he was not used to it. "Maybe they're getting ready to warp out of the area and run away with their tails between their legs."

"I have never understood the human fascination with colourful metaphors." said Valek. "Or idle speculation."

"Or," said Harris. "Maybe they're testing some new kind of weapon system. One that would light up the darkness of space like a Christmas tree. That surge I detected in their inertial dampers could be a related malfunction."

"Or maybe they're doing exactly what you two are, wondering what _we're_ upto." said Anderson.

"A logical assumption, Captain." said Valek. The Vulcan highly respected his captain. Captain Anderson possessed an insight and maturity of a man far beyond his years. He would have made an ideal Vulcan.

Roth rotated his chair until it faced the viewscreen. "Suck up." he mumbled under his breath.

"Romulans are just as mistrusting of us as we are of them." said Anderson. "That's what a couple hundred years of propaganda gets you."

"But, sir," said Harris. "Propaganda requires a source to stem from. I doubt everything we've heard about the Romulans wouldn't have been spread unless there was a certain element of truth."

"Truth gets different with each person, Commander. Eventually it gets to the point where it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to separate the real truth from that which has been implanted in the minds of those that have believed it for so long. And then there's the more fundamental truth."

"Which is?"

"People change too."

Lieutenant Commander Douglas Gordon crossed his arms and smiled at the warp core as any proud chief engineer would. It had been over a week since the warp drive had given his staff any kind of problem, and bugs had usually reared their heads every couple of days since the engine refit. Now it seemed their hard work and perseverance had paid off. He hoped he had done his previous commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, proud.

The engineering section itself was smaller than he had grown accustomed to. He had spent his earlier years on the Enterprise-E and her predecessor, each had a much larger warp core. The cylindrical core on the Falcon, while compact, was surprisingly powerful. She was capable of warp 9.5, just shy of keeping up with a Galaxy-Class ship. The dilithium chamber was housed midway up from the visible section of the core. A gangway extended to the core from adjacent sides of the compartment before forming a semicircular arc around it, allowing easy access to the chamber. The two glowing red plasma conduits extended from the rear of the dilithium chamber into the bulkhead and continued all the way to the warp nacelles.

Once a day, Gordon walked around the entire compartment while he was on duty. His favourite spot was the gangway around the warp core. It was a pride thing. He liked his job and he liked to be reminded of how well he performed it. Even when he was off duty he would sometimes stand on the gangway and lean forward on the railing with his back to the core. It's pulsing was incredibly relaxing.

"You always start your shift off like that, sir." said one of his lieutenants. "Like it's some sort of obelisk."

"Got to pray to the right gods, Lieutenant."

"And what religion might that be, Commander?" asked a passing ensign. "Dilithianism?"

"Pagan." scoffed Gordon jokingly as he made his way to a nearby ladder. "I'm a Cochranite through and through." An unusual noise drew his attention to the dilithium chamber. It was unusual to him as he was aware of every sound in engineering and could easily pick out anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps there was going to be a bug today.

"What's wrong, sir?"

"Lieutenant Chalmers." said Gordon to the senior most engineer, aside from himself. "Check the plasma flow, make sure there's no backwash. The last thing the Captain needs is a blown out conduit."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged Chalmers as she rushed quickly to her console. She had no intention of letting something go wrong with the engines, especially when they had been running so smoothly. Chalmers knew Gordon had a sixth sense when it came to his engines, it was fascinating to see him work, even when his sense was off. "Commander, plasma levels are nominal. Maybe you're getting rusty in your old age, Grandpa...I mean, sir."

"I think I just decided who's going to clean the plasma conduits. It must be something else then." Gordon moved along the gangway and stood in front of the hatch to the dilithium chamber. The sound he had heard before had changed pitch. It was at least an octave higher now. "What the _hell_ is that?" He'd never heard anything like it before.

Chalmers heard the sound now too. Once again, Gordon's sixth sense found something before the sensors did.

Her console sounded an alarm. Gordon's sixth sense was a little late this time. "Commander! Get away from there!"

The dilithium chamber hatch blew off its housings and hit Gordon square in the chest. It would have flung him clear across the room had the compartment not been completely engulfed in flames a split second after the explosion.

A rumbling shook the bridge. Captain Anderson looked around curiously. He was about to ask for a status report when he felt the heat. He was standing from his chair even as every console on the bridge flickered and the deck beneath him grew hot and erupted in flames that encompassed the entire bridge.

"Shields up!" exclaimed Kardan as a piece of the Starfleet vessel's saucer section headed toward them. There was a jolt and an eruption of sparks on the bridge as the debris bounced off their shields. "What happened?" he asked. It was more out of curiosity than compassion for lives lost.

Nobody on the bridge had seen it coming. Kardan had been sitting in his chair, awaiting word for the engines to be repaired and watching the viewscreen when a column of flame shot up from the rear of the Starfleet ship's saucer section. The explosion expanded and pieces of debris scattered out into space in every direction.

Stoval pushed the centurion science officer away from the sensor display for not answering quickly enough. "They suffered a warp core breach. Sensors indicate no causal factor." Stoval grabbed hold of the console as another piece of debris hit their shields. "They just, exploded. Possibly a design flaw." he said with a wicked smile before concern erased it. "It could have been an environmental anomaly. We should leave the area immediately."

"There's no need." said Kardan, voice laden with anticipation. "It was neither. Isn't that correct, Nolak?" He eyed the engineer, who was looking rather obsequious.

"It was accidental, Commander. When the inertial dampers failed, my hand hit the weapon panel. It activated."

Kardan glared at Stoval. Partially because he knew his first officer was going to be smug, but mostly because Stoval's smugness would be justified. If not for his insubordinate action, they would not have discovered this important piece of information.

He took his gaze off of Stoval and concentrated on the greater issue. The scope of it was a thrill to him. They were now in possession of an unstoppable weapon, it was intoxicating. This discovery was going to save the Romulan Empire a great deal of time and effort. "Tomalak and Sela will be pleased with this development."

Alec didn't expect to come face to face with Sela, and he certainly did not expect her to be teamed with another adversary from Captain Picard's past. Tomalak stood next to Sela. While neither of them smiled, the two Romulans appeared to be on the verge of a laughter like none he had ever seen. He found nothing funny about the two of them working together. Even if he could read their faces, their eyes said it all. They had him, and he knew it.

"So," said Tomalak. "This is the human that has caused us so much trouble."

"Tomalak," said a stone-faced Alec. "I didn't recognize you without the stern of your ship on fire."

Confusion flashed across Tomalak's face, followed by a hint of anger. "We have met before, human?"

"No, but I seem to recall firing a volley of torpedoes into a Warbird of yours two years ago."

"Ah, yes." said Tomalak with a grin. He was smiling for a reason other than Alec's humourous comment. "I owe you a debt of gratitude for that day. If it were not for you I would not have been able to accomplish so easily what was necessary to destroy your beloved Federation."

_Here comes the James Bond moment._ "Oh, don't mention it. Was my pleasure. Anytime you need me to blast the hell our of one of your ships you just let me know because I'll be more than happy to-"

A backhand across Alec's face from one of the guards came at the nod of Tomalak. "You aren't on your ship now, Commander. I remind you that you aren't needed alive."

"Your compassion is a testament to the Romulan heart."

"It was our hope that you would leave the safety of the Enterprise." said Sela, her arms crossed and hand on her chin. "We didn't expect you to make it so far. Humans, your quest for knowledge gives you the annoying tendency of sticking your noses where they don't belong. But never again."

"Right, this weapon of yours."

The smiles on Tomalak and Sela's faces faded away, while one formed on Alec's. _I was hoping that would shut them up._

"I suppose we have Ty'brel to thank for revealing it to you." Sela approached the captive Vesuvian. "You hid from us quite well. I must confess I wasn't expecting to ever find you."

"How much do you know?" said Tomalak to Alec.

"Enough to stop you from succeeding."

The smile returned to Tomalak's face. "Things are too far along for you to stop us, even with what you know."

"As long as you haven't distributed the dilithium, you haven't succeeded."

"I'm afraid you're in no position to make such a statement." said Sela. She noticed Tasmith's lingering stare. It was pointed at Alec. "Thank you for delivering them to us. I trust he didn't give you too much trouble."

"More than you thought but less than I'd hoped."

"So sorry to disappoint you." said Alec dryly. "So how'd you get the help of the Founders?"

"The Founders had no part in this." said Tomalak with a laugh. The man's belief in his own superiority radiated off of him. "This victory over the galaxy will be remembered as one of the Romulan Empire alone."

"Then you used one of the changelings the Founders spread across the galaxy."

Even though he was a prisoner, Alec felt a huge surge of relief upon finally finding out the truth. He had to take the good with the bad, for if he had not set out on his own, he wouldn't have found out, but he would also not be in the hands of such dangerous people.

Several years ago, the crew of Deep Space Nine took the Defiant on her maiden cruise and ventured into the Gamma Quadrant to seek out the Dominion. They were attacked by a wave of Jem'Hadar Attack Ships that managed to scan through the cloaking device. Feeling there was no other option. Constable Odo took an unconscious Major Kira and fled the area in a shuttlepod. The shapeshifter set a course for the Omarion Nebula. It was a place that upon seeing on a viewscreen starmap he felt an unexplainable but irresistible urge to go to. Once there, he and Major Kira found a rogue planet. It turned out to be the homeworld of his people, the home of the Founders. They later learned the Founders were the leaders of the Dominion. The Founder in charge told Odo that they sent one hundred of their infants into the far reaches of space in the hopes they would one day return with knowledge of the universe. Odo had been one of them.

To Alec's knowledge that made this fully grown changeling only one of three known to be found. The other two being Odo, and another that went by the name of Laas, who had been found in the form of a spacefaring creature by Odo and Chief Miles O'Brien while in a runabout.

Tomalak eyed him with what seemed like a newformed respect. "That's not common knowledge even in Starfleet."

Alec hinted at Sela with his head. "As she pointed out, I like sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

"It was Sela who originally found the changeling." said Tomalak. "After our _encounter_ in orbit of Lorna Prime, my ship set course for Romulus. The warp engines malfunctioned due to damage sustained. We came out of warp to make repairs and entered orbit around a barely habitable planet."

"The planet I was exiled to because of _your_ Captain Picard!" spat Sela.

"Aside from her it was void of sentient life. Or so we thought."

Alec managed a smirk at the thought of Sela fending for her life all alone on some wasteland of a world.

"Imagine our surprise when we discovered a Romulan lifesign on the surface. When we transported down to her location we were attacked by some kind of beast. It killed three of my men before she told it to stop."

Sela took over. "When I was exiled on that planet thirteen years ago," She paused, seemingly choked with emotion. Being left in an alien environment like that would have gotten to anybody. "I was left with nothing but my uniform and a disruptor. I had no food, no water. I had to fend for myself. One day when I was hunting one of the native animals, I noticed it acted differently than the others. When I fired on the animal, it changed into something else and attacked me. Another burst from my disruptor convinced it to stop its attack. When it took a step back and assumed my form I knew what I was dealing with. I spent the years teaching it."

Alec scoffed. "I can't wait to get a look at _that_ lesson plan." His comment was rewarded with another backhand from the guard. _Even though that's technically strike two, I'm going to give you a break. Strike one._

Sela continued. "It kept me safe over the years from the dangerous creatures on the planet after my disruptor ran out of power."

"When we found her," said Tomalak. "She convinced it to come with us. We've been feeding it bits and pieces about its people ever since."

"Normally I wouldn't be one to argue against someone learning about their heritage." said Alec. "But do you think that was such a good idea?"

"We have been very selective in what we have told it." informed Tomalak. "We do not want a war any more than you do."

"Then what the hell is it you're planning against the Alpha Quadrant?! Afternoon tea?" Alec regretted losing his cool. It showed everyone that Tomalak was getting to him.

"It's only a war if the other side fires back." Tomalak's superior grin once again asserted itself. "Your people will not have the chance."

Sela, Tomalak, and Tasmith all joined in a collective laugh, while the guards just stood with their hands behind their backs. Tasmith's was the most chilling as it contained nothing but conviction. He looked over at Rene and Ty'brel, they were composing themselves extremely well considering the circumstances.

Tasmith's laugh was also the most confusing. Her presence in itself was ponderous. What was she doing there? What did she have to gain - aside from a bounty - by joining with Tomalak and Sela?

"I only have one question," said Alec. "What part does _she_ play in all of this?"

Sela stepped behind Tasmith and put her hands on her shoulders. "She is the ultimate warrior."

"I've never heard of a Vulcan and a Klingon mating before."

"She is the only such specimen in existence." said Tomalak. He used the word 'specimen' without any hesitation at all. And Tasmith didn't even twitch an eyebrow when he did. "It makes her that much more precious."

"How much do you know about Khitomer?" asked Sela.

"You mean the outpost your people massacred?" Alec half expected a backhand. But the Romulans wore that incident as a badge of honour. He had simply boosted their pride.

Khitomer was a planet near the Klingon/Romulan border. With the help of a traitor named Ja'rod, the Romulans were able to slaughter over four thousand Klingons. There were only two survivors of the attack, future Enterprise-D crewmember Worf, who lost both his parents, and his nursemaid. It was that incident that forever made Romulans the blood enemy of the Klingon empire.

"You know your history, human." said Sela, circling his chair as Tasmith had done before. "Let's see how well. Can you recall an incident at Camp Khitomer that occurred in the year 2293 of your calendar?"

He did recall. Sela was referring to the beginnings of peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. An ecological disaster on the moon, Praxis, crippled the atmosphere of the Klingon homeworld, Q'onos. The damage to their ozone layer was such to the point that the Klingon economy could no longer afford any further conflict with the Federation. The then Captain Spock opened relations with Chancellor Gorkon, leader of the Klingon race. Negotiations called for an end to all hostilities, the dismantling of starbases along the border, and the dissolving of the Federation/Klingon Neutral Zone. While escorting Gorkon's ship to Earth, Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard McCoy of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A were framed for the murder of Gorkon and several members of the crew. The number of those opposed to the treaty were such that it was impossible to discern who was a traitor. They were sent to the prison asteroid, Rura Penthe, and subsequently escaped. One of the conspirators was flushed out on the Enterprise, who revealed the identities of several others involved as well as a plot to assassinate the Federation president. The Enterprise arrived at the reconvened conference in time to stop the attempt. The reconvened conference was held at Camp Khitomer, and the subsequent treaty became known as the Khitomer Accords.

"What does that have to do with her?"

Sela completed a full circle around him and stood next to Tomalak once again. She looked him down like she was an iconoclast. "Are you familiar with the names Valeris and General Chang?"

He recognized the latter immediately. General Chang was the Chief of Staff to Chancellor Gorkon, and one of the figureheads of the conspiracy. He and several others feared the changes peace would bring. Some were thought to have eluded capture. Key names included Admiral Cartwright of Starfleet, Colonel West, and Nanclus, who was the Romulan Ambassador to the Federation.

It took him a moment to recall the name Valeris. That had been the name of the Starfleet traitor that revealed the identities of others in the conspiracy. She had been forced into a mind meld by Captain Spock. And she had been Vulcan.

"That's impossible." said Alec, shaking his head. "There was no way, no way that Valeris and General Chang could have come in contact with each other before Gorkon went about the Enterprise-A. And even then, a Vulcan's pregnancy gestation is the same as a human's, nine months. There is no record of a Vulcan ever giving birth in a Federation prison camp or otherwise. And there would be a record if such a thing happened."

"It is true that they never mated." said Tomalak, his eyes narrowed. The Starfleet captive was not one to be underestimated. "But that didn't stop them from leaving samples of their DNA in the care of someone that shared their agenda."

"For what purpose?"

"So that in the event they failed there would be someone to finish what they started."

"Luckily," said Sela. "Their DNA ended up in the hands of an old family friend, a senator by the name of Pardek. He raised her under the right ideals."

"You mean Romulan ideals."

"You know nothing." said Tomalak, moving next to the huntress. "You are looking at the architect of your destruction. It was she who originated idea for the end of the Federation. It took seventy years to come to fruition, but an operable solution was reached for this problem."

"What about bounty hunting?" asked Alec, spitting blood.

"Biding my time." said Tasmith. "I didn't know how long I would have to wait before an opportunity arose. In short, I needed a hobby."

"Gee, Mom and Dad would be so proud."

Alec knew this woman, the entire trio in fact, was not to be trifled with. But being defiant was the only way he knew of to prevent himself from caving in.

The entire truth had been uncovered, and it didn't sit well with him. This 'prodigal child' had been devising the end of his society and all others since before he was born. It diminished his hope of being able to stop them. The only thing that kept his hope alive for the most part was that she only had the past few years to truly act on her initiative. And there was Rene. They were both in weak positions, but she brought to him an unrelenting strength. As long as he had her, he knew things would be alright.

The doors opened again, closing behind the figure that entered. Alec recognized Bru'Dan. The Vesuvian's eyes changed colour as he came closer to the light, and narrowed as he approached Alec. Bru'Dan used the element of surprise to throw a punch into Alec's gut.

"Have I done something wrong, Bru'Dan?" asked Alec, sucking air.

"That was for all the grief you've caused."

"Does this mean we're not friends anymore?" asked Alec, feigning hurt feelings.

Bru'Dan wound up for another blow but stopped upon hearing Sela's protest. "Don't let him get to you. Once he's back on your world you can do whatever you wish. But as long as he's on this ship you will not lay a hand on him."

"Yes, mistress." Bru'Dan's fist was shaking with restraint. He lowered it and moved on to Ty'brel. "Two years have come down to this. Did you think you could hide from us forever?"

"I hid long enough."

"It was all in vain. Despite what you may have told him, out people will learn why it was a mistake to follow our late president."

"Cut the act, Bru'Dan." said Alec. "You and I both know she's not dead."

The look of confusion and surprise on Bru'Dan's face was utterly priceless. It was not surprise from being found out, it was surprise at learning she was still alive. He truly did not know.

"Hmmm, looks like someone's a little late joining the party." said Alec. It was the closest he'd been to laughing since being aboard the Romulan ship. "Why didn't you let him in on your little secret?"

"This is true?!" Bru'Dan leered at Sela, who maintained indifference. "How could you do this?"

"Something had to be done in the event you failed to take power. Don't get angry because I chose to think ahead when you didn't. And before you ask why, your reaction now explains it all. Finally, Tomalak and I make the decisions, not you. You're just a facilitator."

"What good will keeping her-"

"Is there a reason you came down here?" asked an impatient Tomalak.

It seemed to Alec that Bru'Dan was going to utter an obscenity, but instead composed himself in an impressive manner. "I was asked to give this to you." he said, holding out a padd.

Sela took it from him and expected him to leave afterwards. But he stood there, glaring at the prisoners. "You may leave." Bru'Dan again did nothing, further trying Sela's patience. "I won't say it again."

Bru'Dan reluctantly proceeded to leave. Tomalak's watchful eye followed him until the doors closed. "He is becoming a nuisance."

Sela activated the padd. "He always has been."

"Would you like me to take care of him?" asked Tasmith.

A smirk appeared on Sela's face as she read. "Not just yet, we still need his cooperation."

"I don't get it." said Alec. "You'll kill someone like Bru'Dan, but you'll leave someone like Eric Jones alive."

"Bru'Dan has fire." said Tasmith. "He has passion, conviction, he believes in something. That is something I respect."

"He's also a traitor." added Ty'brel.

"Stop it." said Tasmith, rubbing her arms. "You're making me tingle."

Sela held out her flat palm, indicating she wanted silence. She then activated the communicator on her arm. "Bru'Dan, come back to the interrogation room." The Vesuvian man entered not even fifteen seconds after being summoned. He must have been brooding somewhere nearby. "Bru'Dan, the Romulan Empire appreciates all of your help over the past few years. Your services are no longer required. Tasmith."

Bru'Dan had barely registered a protest when Tasmith had him on his back with her hands clamped over his mouth and nose. If he had simply tried to remove her from on top of him he might have had a chance. But all he did was try to move her hands from his face. An impossible act against someone of her strength.

"Try and die with some dignity." she said over his muffled cries.

His grip around her wrists became weaker. It was at that point that it finally dawned on him to move her instead of her arms, but by then he was too weak. There they lay in front of Alec, Bru'Dan struggling for his life. Then it was over. Alec watched as the colour drained from his eyes. In an instant they were no longer yellow. They were white.

"Remove him." said Tomalak. He showed no regard for Bru'Dan. He was as indifferent as if he had just swatted a fly. "What has happened?"

She held up the padd she was given. "It appears the Commander will live to see the annihilation of his Federation after all."


	18. Escape

Chapter 18

Escape

The news that the Romulan weapon worked regardless of whether a ship had Vesuvian dilithium or not shook down Alec's confidence a few levels. Until then they had the luxury of time, but ut had been taken away like latinum leaving the hands of an unwise Ferengi. It occupied his mind such that he didn't recall the guards moving the three of them to a holding cell. 535 of his fellow officers had been killed when the U.S.S. Falcon was destroyed. It angered him more than finding out Sela had had the Travioli destroyed. _Level six._

For the first time since starting his journey, he had begun to lose hope. They were prisoners in a giant spacefaring fortress almost twice the size of the Enterprise, no way off, no way of contacting help, and a significantly diminished timetable for stopping a holocaust. The idea of his children living under Romulan rule triggered his resolve. He would rather die than let that happen. He was disgusted at himself for even thinking about giving up. And his parents would be disappointed in him as well.

After he was thrown rather roughly to the floor of the holding cell his restrained hands were freed. Pulling them from behind his back he saw they were not actually free. There was a mechanism that connected the shackles at the wrist. It had simply been deactivated and would no doubt be reconnected the moment someone was going to enter the cell. He checked on Rene and Ty'brel who had both been temporarily released from their restraints.

There was no door in the archway, a light buzz from a forcefield emanated from it instead. Alec didn't even go near it. He had heard that Romulan forcefields not only contained but also caused excruciating pain. Enough of that had been experienced in the past week.

A low groan in the corner of the cell revealed the presence of someone else. None of them had bothered to look around before.

Alec snapped his head around in the direction of the noise. He blinked several times then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining things. They shared their cell with Sha'Gra, who seemed to be teetering on the edge of consciousness.

"President Sha'Gra!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side with Ty'brel close behind.

She had looked better. It appeared that she hadn't slept or gotten a decent meal in days. Alec helped her prop herself against the wall. She still had not opened her eyes, perhaps lacking the energy. There were two strange looking devices attached to her forehead on adjacent sides. Alec recognized them as Romulan mind probes. They were used during interrogations to extract information from a subject's stored memory. It was typically not a very pleasurable experience. Alec was subjected to a Borg variation of them when he was in the hands of the Collective.

He held her shoulders and jostled her gently. "Sha'Gra."

Sha'Gra's eyes fluttered lightly as she groaned once again. She fixed her eyes on Alec. "I know you." she said weakly but firmly. "You're from the Enterprise. Commander... Wilson. What are you doing here?"

_I've been wondering that myself lately._ "That's a long story. But I'm here with an old acquaintance of yours."

Sha'Gra closed her eyes and shook her head, jarring herself further into consciousness. Her eyes widened when she looked next to Alec and saw her fellow Vesuvian. "Ty'brel? Is that you? I... Everyone thought you were dead."

"That's a popular theme these days." said Alec.

"Where have you been?"

"That's a longer story than our friend's here. I'm glad to see you're alive, however."

"I don't feel like it." she said, easing her sitting position.

"How long have you been here?" asked Alec. He didn't want to seem rude, the more information they had the better.

"I don't know exactly." Sha'Gra held her face in her hands. She jumped slightly upon feeling the mind probes on her head but calmed down when she remembered what they were. "I do know that they've had me ever since I left the signing ceremony to get some fresh air."

"Eight days." revealed Alec.

"Only eight?" Her eyes shot wide open. That appeared to be the shock to her system needed to fully wake her. "It felt like a lot longer."

"I know what you mean." said Alec as he crouched. "Can you recall what happened?"

"Most of it." she said, holding her forehead. "Although some of it's a little vague. My personal guard was escorting me to the outside when we were attacked. Two Romulans came around a corner and fired their weapons. My guards fell. Then, a third Romulan appeared. This is where I don't know if I was hallucinating or not, but the Romulan turned into me!"

_The changeling._ "You weren't hallucinating, Madame President. It was a changeling. A shapeshifter."

"You mean, like the ones that led the Dominion? It was a... A Founder?"

"Not officially. It was more of a late bloomer. What happened next?"

"One of the Romulans grabbed me while the other tore my necklace from my neck and gave it to the other me. They took me to a hidden door that leads to a set of underground caverns. The other me needed my necklace in order to open the door. It mimicked my voice and spoke the passcode before dropping it on the floor."

"Why would they leave it there deliberately?" asked Ty'brel.

"To leave a trail for us to follow." answered Alec. "Please continue."

"The rest is just a jumble. I remember being carried through a wall of rock into a room with computers. Then I'm in a room being looked at by two Romulans. One's a man, the other a woman with yellow hair. Even now I don't know what was wrong with me."

"I do. Do you remember that glass of water you drank?"

"Yes." she replied, looking puzzled. "Why?"

"Someone, I'm guessing Bru'Dan, knew you were going to need it, and spiked your supply in the room with salt."

"Bru'Dan?" she exclaimed, completely off guard.

"Yes, Madame President." said Ty'brel. He knew what she was going through. It was a huge blow to find out you were betrayed by someone you had trusted. "He has been conspiring with the Romulans for years in an effort to dominate the quadrant."

"I always knew he was ambitious." said Sha'Gra. "But I never suspected this."

"Well," said Alec, looking back at Rene, who was watching the archway of the cell for incoming guards. "He won't be doing much conspiring anymore. The yellow haired Romulan woman had him killed. Apparently they no longer needed ties to your people."

"Then why don't they kill me now?"

"They must have something in store for us." There was one final question on Alec's mind. "Do you know why they kept you alive until now?"

"That I do know." she said, nodding. "They wanted the locations of our mining planets. That's what these are for." Sha'Gra touched the mind probes.

"They don't know where they are, do they?" asked Ty'brel worriedly."

"No. But they managed to get the codes needed to bring them-" she stopped, looking at Alec.

"It's okay." he said. "Ty'brel filled me in."

"They have the codes needed to bring the planets out of subspace."

"That's still bad though, isn't it?" asked Rene.

"Yes," said Alec. "But a key is no good if you can't find the lock. You'd think that after this long they'd have found everything they were after with the mind probe."

"I overheard them say that their technology would take longer because it didn't have much experience with my race. I also know that using these things on me wasn't the original idea. Apparently I'm some sort of backup."

"Makes sense." said Alec.

"Are you condoning this?" asked a surprised Ty'brel.

"No, but I understand it. If Bru'Dan had taken over like they had originally planned he would have gained access to the locations and passcodes to all mining planets. But Sela needed a contingency plan in case that didn't happen. Her being alive is proof he failed. Truth is, she's alive because of Sela's lack of faith in Bru'Dan."

Sha'Gra was considering calling on the Starfleet man's service if she ever made it back to Vesuvia. She needed a person with deductive reasoning and a cunning intellect on her staff. "You said this shapeshifter wasn't one of the Founders. What is it then?"

"A misguided child." said Alec. "Sela's adoptive son or daughter. Who knows how corrupted it's become because of her."

"You sympathize with it?" asked Ty'brel.

"It only knows what it's been taught. To them it's only a pet. I doubt they even rate it that highly. If it were up to me, I'd take it home. I think a former chief of security will be pleased to see it."

"You know where it's home planet is?" asked Sha'Gra.

"No, but I know someone who does." he said, referring to Colonel Kira. "I think she'd be willing to share its location in this case."

More than a day went by with them in the hands of the Romulan masterminds. Their meals left much to be desired. What they couldn't finish they gave to Sha'Gra, who had grown accustomed to the food. She needed the strength anyway.

Alec had hoped to attempt an escape when their meals were brought to them but their restraints were reconnected as he had suspected they would be. He did not know where they would have gone if they had pulled off such a thing but improvisation was one of his talents.

There was nothing they could do but just sit and conserve their energy for whatever they would end up doing. Alec had no ideas but he would have to think of one fast.

He was just beginning to doze when the movement of his wrists coming together jarred him awake. Someone was coming in momentarily. The deactivation of the buzzing forcefield was followed by the entrance of a solitary Romulan carrying a tray with four dishes. The man looked like an average Romulan to Alec, save for one difference: There was something that he couldn't put his finger on. The man had an almost trustworthy quality to his face.

"You guys need to vary your menu." said Alec as the Romulan set down the tray next to him. "I could smell that through the forcefield."

"Listen carefully." said the Romulan. He seemed genuinely concerned, but that only made Alec more wary. "There isn't much time. Not long from now another guard will arrive to take you to interrogation."

"And interrupt our meal?" said Alec jokingly. He wasn't buying the apparent honesty. "That's rude."

"There isn't time for distrust, Commander." said the Romulan, more urgently than before.

"What do you want?"

"To help you."

_Bullshit._ "Why?"

"Not all of my people want to see the Federation destroyed. Some of us want peace."

_I have no doubt of that, but are you really one of them?_ Alec needed a little more to go on before he placed trust in this man. "Funny thing I've learned about your people, try not to take it personally, but you have the tendency to mislead."

The Romulan showed no sign that he took offense. "I understand your apprehension, Commander, but it is misplaced. Think about it. We have the ability to destroy any starship powered by dilithium with the push of a button. What possible thing would we have to gain by misleading you?"

_Good point. But..._ "Then why are we going to be interrogated?"

Their server was apparently embarrassed by the question. "Since when have my people needed a valid reason to interrogate someone?"

_Another good point._ "Who are you?"

The Romulan glanced at the archway, checking for possible eavesdroppers. "I am an operative of Spock's underground movement."

"Who?" asked Sha'Gra.

"One of Starfleet's most famous and important figures." Alec did not expect that. If this man truly intended on helping them they were very fortunate. Based on what he knew, he decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt. "You know the right people. What are you doing on this ship?"

"When rumours first arose about Sela's reemergence, Ambassador Spock sent three of us to try and infiltrate her plans. Only recently did we learn of Tomalak's involvement. What I'm going to tell you next _must_ be passed along to your government. Sela and Tomalak are acting outside the will of the Praetor. The general Romulan military has no knowledge of what they're doing."

_I guess I can't hold too much of a grudge against your people anymore._ "Understood. There are three of you on board?"

"No, I'm alone on this vessel. One of us went missing and is presumed dead. The third is on the weapon ship. It was she who sabotaged it and allowed it to be detected. It is unfortunate one of your ships was lost. But it was not in vain. We now know we have to expedite our efforts in stopping them."

"How?" asked Alec.

"This Warbird and the weapon ship must be destroyed. By now the captain of the weapon ship will have most likely discovered the engines were sabotaged. She would not dare try again, there's too much risk of her being discovered. But we know where the ship is going next. A planet called Chevris I."

Alec did not recognize the name, but Ty'brel and Sha'Gra did. Their expressions left little to the imagination. "What's wrong?"

"That's one of our mining planets." answered Ty'brel. "The one Bru'Dan used to be assigned to."

"My god." said Alec in horror as he reached the same realization as Ty'brel and Sha'Gra. "You said the mining planets have cores of pure dilithium. What would happen if they deployed the weapon on a planetary scale?"

Ty'brel knew enough to theorize. "A chain reaction would spread through the veins of dilithium. All the way to the core. Chevris would be destroyed."

"How many people are on Chevris?" asked Alec.

"One million, the last time I checked." said Sha'Gra, almost in tears.

"This cannot be allowed to happen." said Ty'brel, his hands in fists.

"We can't do anything from in here."

"That's why I'm here." said the Romulan. "When the guard arrives to take you away we'll use that opportunity to free you."

"I have an idea." said Alec with a devilish grin. He could have kicked himself for not having thought of it sooner.

"Be ready." said the Romulan as he prepared to leave. "I'll be right behind him."

Picard was growing weary of the day after day waiting for President Vindor to contact them. The new Vesuvian leader was conferencing with his personal staff on the best way to proceed. Picard dreaded the thought that they would choose to further what they already had with the Romulan Empire. There was one thing he was certain of. To have gotten a hidden command post underneath the Presidential Forum, the Romulans would have needed help from an inside source. Ambassador Jobra was not a candidate, given Counselor Troi's assurances. Vindor had been a suspect at first, but the belief was discredited due to the amount of time it was taking him and his staff to reach a decision. Unless he was putting on a show for their benefit, one would think the Enterprise would have been hailed much sooner. With all the security access he possessed, Picard suspected Bru'Dan, but there was no current way to prove it.

Edwards was bored as hell. He just wanted something to happen. Anything would have been preferable to sitting there. He would have much rather been on board the Falcon at the moment, at least they were probably seeing some action. Next time a friend went off on their on on some wild tangent he'd have to make a point to go along.

"Open a subspace channel to the Falcon, Lieutenant." said Picard as if reading Edward's mind. "I'd like an update on their progress."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged Edwards. "The viewscreen or your ready room?"

"The viewscreen will be suffiecient, Lieutenant. Thank you."

Edwards couldn't believe he had just tried ingratiating himself with Picard. Alec's fate with the service had not yet been determine and he found himself vying for the man's job. He shook his head in shame and did as he was ordered.

He brought up the long range sensor display to pinpoint the Falcon's position via her transponder signal. The extent of his confusion was no doubt felt by Counselor Troi. There was no sign of the Falcon on sensors. He ran another sweep just to be sure but was again met with negative results. There was no trace of her transponder.

"Captain," he said. "I can't locate the Falcon."

"Is she out of sensor range?" asked Riker.

"I don't think so, sir." said Edwards as he accused the scientific sensors to augment his previous scan.

"What was her last known position?" asked Picard.

"Approximately thirty minutes from the Neutral Zone."

Edwards' augmented scan beeped upon completion it yielded results that were not positive in the least. "Captain, I'm picking up trace radiation in the coordinates the Romulan ship was going to cross. I'm sorry, sir. It could only have come from the warp core breach of a Federation ship."

Riker's blood boiled as he matched sorrowful glances with Picard. They had all lost enough comrades and friends during the war. Now it appeared the Romulans had began taking more.

Picard believed he had his fill of waiting. No more. It was time to execute the discretion which Admiral Nechayev had granted him. "Hail the Emissary."

Janeway's look of curiosity only made Picard's job worse. "What can we do for you, Enterprise?"

"Captain," began Picard morbidly. Announcing the death of a fellow officer was never easy. It was one of those things that got harder the more it was done. "I regret to inform you we have evidence that suggests the Falcon has suffered a warp core breach."

The sorrow Troi felt coming from the Emissary was not Janeway's alone, but that of her entire bridge crew. It was hard for her to handle all at once with her own to deal with.

"I see." replied an otherwise speechless Janeway. "What is it we can do?"

"I've decided to take the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone. I want you to investigate the coordinates my tactical officer will transmit shortly. We detected curious readings there on our journey to Vesuvia and have thus far been unable to investigate them ourselves. We'll return to Vesuvia once our tasks are completed."

"Understood. We'll get underway immediately. Good luck, Captain."

"And to you as well."

"Transmitting coordinates." said Edwards as the comlink closed.

"Course laid in, Captain." said McClary, anticipating his order.

Picard thanked his luck for the efficiency of his officers. "Engage."

They ate as much as they could before again handing the remainder over to Sha'Gra, who took it without hesitation.

Rene on the other hand, ate the least of the four. She proclaimed to be waiting for the replicator back on the Enterprise. Alec couldn't blame her in the least, but he ate regardless. If he were to be doing anything physical in the near future he'd need all the energy he could get.

Alec explained to Sha'Gra how he managed to get caught in the middle of everything. The necklace that led them to the cavern, firing on the Jem'Hadar that changed into her in the darkness of the cave, the use of a Starfleet phaser to kill her guard, the placing of the bounty on his head by the extremists, and is investigation of the cave that led to the command post and the subsequent discovery of Ty'brel's location. Tasmith, Bru'Dan, Sela's past, he included all he could.

"So," said Sha'Gra, putting the pieces together. "They lead you to believe you've killed me. The point of which was to either have you turn yourself over because of guilt or go off on your own when you found out it was orchestrated. They then use this bounty hunter to bring you in and use your capture in their name to bring their world and mine closer together."

"It may not have worked out exactly as they planned it, but I got sucked in. They did it all for nothing though, they never needed a scapegoat. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing how much time they wasted."

"I can't eat this stuff anymore." called Rene as she threw her dish across the cell. That was the signal. She was letting Alec know someone was coming.

Not that he needed a notice, as his restraints reconnecting would tell him when a guard was approaching but a few more seconds to put his plan in action were helpful. Upon hearing Rene's warning he placed his hands behind his back and began to work the phaser out of his shirt's inner cuff. Once it was free he closed his palm around it and waited.

The forcefield came down and in entered the guard. It was the same one that had struck him earlier. Alec could not have been happier. The guard was immediately followed by Spock's operative, who nodded at Alec.

The guard came over to him. "You will come with me."

He fired his phaser but spoke at the same time to cover up the discharge sound. "You guys are really pushy you know that?"

"Do not test me, human." The guard stepped closer.

_Just a little more._ "You're pretty tough with that disruptor." said Alec as he stood up.

The guard looked down at his sidearm. He then removed it from the holster and flung it at the operative who caught it and shot Alec an inquisitive look.

Alec gave his head an almost unnoticeable shake, but he was confident the operative saw it, they were trained to notice things. He hadn't even put his eyes back on the guard when he reeled from a blow. _The man likes his backhands. Strike two._

"If you were a gentleman you'd let me have a turn. Touch me again and I'll kill you." Alec stood there firmly, and prepared for what was next.

The guard did not laugh. Nor did he use a backhand. He balled his fist and swung at Alec who was thrown back half a step by the blow. The guard was shocked and disappointed that Alec had not been thrown clear off his feet. He had given his best punch.

Alec grinned and made his move. Having separated his restraints with the phaser he reached out with his free left hand and grabbed the guard by the shoulder and threw his right fist directly into the guard's neck, crushing his windpipe. The Romulan choked and wheezed as he fell to his knees, grasping his throat.

The operative dropped the disruptor he was thrown and rushed to side of the dying guard. His intention was not to render aid, but rather he took a small device from the fallen man's enclosed hand. He held it out at the others. Their restraints came completely loose and fell to the floor.

"How long were you free?" asked the operative, still surprised.

"About thirty seconds after you came in."

"I don't understand." The operative paused as the guard let out a final wheeze. "You could have stopped him at any time. Why did you let him hit you?"

"I wanted him to think he was doing well." said Alec as he set the phaser back to stun. "I hate for people to die embarrassed. Shall we go?"

The operative shot him a look of bewilderment before pulling the disruptor from his holster. "This way."

Ty'brel followed directly behind the operative. He picked up the discarded disruptor on the floor. Sha'Gra stayed close behind him with Rene after her and Alec taking up the rear. He kept his phaser at the ready as they followed the operative through the corridors.

"Won't somebody see us?" asked Ty'brel.

"No. Aside from the holding cell this section of the ship is unoccupied." The operative led them through several more hallways. It wasn't a starship to Alec, it was a labyrinth with warp drive.

"Where are we going?" asked Alec, taking a precautionary look over his shoulder.

"The launch bay." The operative opened a door and stepped to the ladder before him. He began climbing up.

"Can't take me too long to learn how to pilot one of your shuttles." Alec kept watch and waited until everyone was on the ladder before climbing up himself.

"You're not using one of our shuttles." called down the operative. "You're using yours."

Alec almost stopped climbing upon hearing the Travioli was still in one piece. "I thought Sela had it destroyed."

"She wanted you to believe that so you wouldn't try to escape. They were going to turn you over to the Vesuvian government along with your shuttle."

"Smart move on her part. If I had known she was lying I probably would have tried something. Serves me right for trusting her."

The remainder of the climb was silent and relatively fast. Once the operative reached a certain level he stepped onto the platform. He removed a canteen from the inside of his uniform and took a drink before handing it to Ty'brel, who in turn handed it to Sha'Gra. She handed it to Rene who did not appear as tired as expected. She credited her sessions in the Enterprise gym for staying in shape.

Alec stood on the platform and accepted the canteen from his wife. "Darn, was hoping it was Romulan Ale."

"Sorry," said the operative, laughing for the first time since they met him. "Water seemed better at the time. We should get moving."

"Can we rest here a minute?" asked Ty'brel, who had just moments ago went from gasping to heavy breathing.

"Our friend is right." said Alec as he passed the canteen back to the operative, who caught it effortlessly. "The sooner we're off this ship the better. The second they know we're not where we're supposed to be they're going to start looking for us."

The operative nodded at Alec and pressed a button along the wall which opened the adjacent door. Their guide took a look into the corridor before waving for them to follow. The group exited in the same order as before.

Alec didn't know why he placed such trust in the man who was helping them. Maybe it was the mention of Ambassador Spock, maybe it was the honesty in his eyes; a genuine drive to do what was right, maybe it was because Alec was a natural born risk taker. Or, and this is the most likely possibility to him, it was because in the grand scheme of things they had little else to lose.

"The launch bay is just around this corner." said the operative, pointing ahead.

Their guide stuck his head around the corner for a quick peak. He held out a flat palm to them, telling them to stop before pointing a single finger at Alec and waving him up. Alec was impressed, the operative had done it all without turning around. Similar training was a logical explanation.

"What's going on?" asked Alec as he neared.

"Two guards." said the operative, turning to face them. "They're at the door to the launch bay. I could use your assistance in... relieving them of duty."

"I like your choice of words." said Alec. "But surely your training would include how to handle two armed guards at once."

"Five." said the operative. "But we should leave nothing to chance. Two guards, two of us."

"Agreed." said Alec after thinking a moment. "How do we do this?"

The operative removed the disruptor from his holster. "Put your hands behind your back and follow my lead."

It was a classic ruse, and Alec loved it. He did as he was told and looked back at Rene, smiling. "See you in a minute."

She smiled back at him, but there was no hiding the worry in her eyes.

Alec stepped in front of the operative and in a moment felt the firing end of a disruptor in his back. _I'd really appreciate it if you don't fire that by accident._ He stepped around the corner and was pushed forward by the operative, allowing himself to stumble for good effect. The two guards were directly ahead. They looked very surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Move it, human." said the operative. A good show had to be put on for the guards if they were going to buy it, and he didn't want to leave any doubts.

"Halt!" said the guard on the left, who put his hand on his disruptor in unison with his partner.

"Excuse me," said the operative. He gave Alec an extra push as he stopped. "I was just posted here last week. I was taking this human filth to interrogation and I somehow managed to get lost."

"_Veruul._" said the guard on the left. It was the only Romulan curse word that Alec knew.

"I may have gotten lost," said the operative with genuine anger. "But I am still a senior centurion. And you will give me the proper respect, Junior Subcenturion."

One of the reasons that made Alec glad he wasn't in the Romulan Guard was the ranks. They got confusing.

"Yes, sir." said the now obsequious guard.

"I'll see to it he's disciplined, Senior Centurion. Interrogation is four decks down."

"You heard him." said the operative. "Move!"

A hard shove to the back sent Alec forward and told him it was time to act. Looks of amusement turned to surprise as Alec brought his hands out from behind his back. He clutched the one on the right around the head underneath his shoulder and used his other hand to grab the second guard by the scruff of the neck, sending him towards the operative. Alec spun to his right with his opponent still in his grip and drove his head into the door behind him. He released his grip and brought his right elbow down on the guard's back, who then slumped to the floor.

Alec put his attention back on the operative. The other guard lay at his feet. "Why didn't you fire?"

"The internal sensors may not have detected your weapon but they would have detected mine."

Alec went back to the group to let them know it was safe to come out into the open. He squeezed Rene's hand and hurried her to the launch bay door where the operative was busy gaining access.

"I hope you won't set off any security alerts trying to open that." said Alec, his wife at his side.

"No, my access codes will allow you entry without setting off the security grid."

"You mean allow 'us.'"

With one final push of a button the door opened, revealing a launch bay twice as large as the main shuttlebay on the Enterprise.

"This is where we part ways. Someone has to disable the engines, sensors, and weapons. I am the only one that can."

Alec didn't try to argue, it would have been futile. If they were to escape undetected, undamaged, and without pursuit, someone would have to sabotage the ship. He didn't have time to learn the internal schematics of a Warbird, and he was the only of the four with the necessary skills to pull off the task.

"I thank you for your help." said Alec, holding out his hand. It was something he never thought he'd do to a Romulan. "I hope you don't plan on spewing some Vulcan saying like 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.'"

"'Or the one?'" The operative took Alec's hand, he was familiar with that particular human custom. "Not today. But it's time for what Ambassador Spock called 'cowboy diplomacy.' When you're clear of the ship, head for Chevris as fast as you can."

Their guide turned and left. Alec was looking at a Romulan version of himself. The man was likely trading his life for theirs so countless billions would live in freedom for generations to come. He admired the courage and hoped that should he be faced with it he would be able to do the same thing. But at the same time he hoped he would never have to.

The launch bay was immense. It was large enough to store a Miranda-Class starship and still have room for more. There had to be at least thirty shuttles waiting for their next venture. Alec would have loved to have taken a closer look at one of them but time did not permit. He did not want to be outside the shuttle when the bay began to decompress and even less so when the launch door opened.

The Travioli was as easy to pick out as white in a field of black. It sat alone next to the launch door, and she had never looked prettier.

"Hello, old friend."

Alec ran his hand along her hull as he came next to it. His stomach churned when he saw burn marks in her skin. Nobody fired on them, so where did these wounds come from? There was only one explanation in his head that made sense. Once the Travioli was brought on board, a hand disruptor was used to scorch the hull in order to make it appear she had been in a fight.

"What's wrong?" asked Rene upon hearing his groan.

"My poor girl."

Rene looked where his attention was focused and scoffed. "Oh, Alec. She can be fixed up."

"I know," he said, looking for more scorch marks. "But it's the principle of the thing."

He found two more wounds on the shuttle's hull. None were too severe. They could all be repaired within twenty minutes of being worked on. Alec equipped his phaser and selected an appropriate setting before going to the nearest Romulan shuttle. The sound of his weapon discharging made the others jump. Sparks flew off of the shuttle's hull as he cut a series of shapes into her side. He chuckled at the final result.

"Let's go." he said cheerfully.

Ty'brel stared open mouthed at Alec as he walked by. "Was that necessary?"

"Yes."

Rene looked curiously at the marks in the hull of the Romulan shuttle. They were too exact to be random. "What do they mean?"

"It's Romulan. It says 'an eye for an eye.'"

Alec walked to the port side of the Travioli. The main hatch was open. he was about to step up the hull and enter when something out of the ordinary caught his eye. A container roughly a third of a meter in height stood erect next to the nacelle. It looked like a deuterium canister, at least whatever the Romulan equivalent was. The question of what it was doing next to the Travioli was raised. He knelt down to get a closer look but he didn't get the chance. He had barely rested his arm on his bent knee when the canister began to liquefy.

He could have sworn that he jumped back six feet. "Everybody stay back!" His phaser was pointed directly at the brownish puddle that now lay where the canister had been. Alec recognized the sound he heard when the canister began to change. It was the oozing noise from the cave. They were in the presence of the changeling.

Ty'brel gathered the women behind him and took position a safe distance away from the changeling. He held the disruptor steady on the Romulan's pet.

Alec felt the sweat already begin to drip down his temple. As much as he wanted to avoid an altercation with Tasmith, a confrontation with a changeling ranked even higher on the list of things he would rather not do.

He took two more steps back as the center of the puddle began to rise upward. The protuberance rounded out and took a headlike shape as it rose. next came a torso, complete with arms and legs. A full body had formed, but without features. It looked like a figure made of brown liquid.

The liquid began to solidify and take on more detail as the brown took a flesh coloured tone. Hair appeared on the head. It was black and close cut. A nose sprouted from the face and above it formed a ridged eyeline. Alec paid close attention to the awaited ears, which as he suspected were pointed.

He felt helpless with his phaser. If the changeling wanted it could disarm him and Ty'brel with almost no effort. The fact that it hadn't yet showed that it was confident in its ability to do so.

"Don't shoot." said the changeling from its newly formed mouth.

"I won't unless you give me a reason." said Alec, his arm not moving an inch.

"I'm not here to hurt you."

Alec eased up a little, and only a little. "Well, I don't want to sound like I don't trust you, but... I can't think of how to finish that. I don't trust you."

The changeling held up its hands. "I understand. But I can give you two reasons to believe me. If I wanted to stop you, do you really think you would still be armed, or conscious?"

"Reason two?"

"I was watching you in the holding cell, when the guard came in and discussed your escape. I heard everything. I could have warned Sela and Tomalak. But I didn't."

Alec eased up a little more. He lowered his phaser, but stayed ready to fire it if necessary. "Alright, now that our mutual good intentions have been established, what do you want?"

The changeling lowered its hands. "Take me with you."

Alec almost dropped his phaser. "Why would you want to go with us?"

"You said that if it were up to you, you'd take me home to my own people. Did you mean that?"

_I wouldn't lie to my own people._ "Yes, I did. Why don't you want to stay with Sela?'

"Sela showed me things I never would have seen if it had not been for her. Things both good and bad. And I will always be grateful for that. But I don't share her views."

"Then why did you help her?" asked Ty'brel, his disruptor still at the ready.

"Because she had answers for me. About what I am and where I came from. Have you ever felt that? Not knowing who or what you are? It's lonely and I didn't want to feel that way. I doubt you would either."

Alec put his phaser away, he wouldn't be needing it. "And now you have a way to get more answers."

The changeling nodded. "If you take me to my people, I will learn more about myself than Sela could ever teach me. And that is far more appealing than the death and destruction of billions.

Allies came in all forms. Now that number reached unparalleled heights. _What the hell._ "Welcome aboard. Wipe your feet and don't bang your head on the archway."

"Thank you." said the changeling. "I-"

The appreciation of their latest ally was overshadowed by a loud klaxon in the launch bay as well as a noticeable drop in air pressure. The bay was depressurizing. The door would open shortly.

"Everyone in the shuttle now!"

The sternness of his tone left little doubts as to the urgency. One after one, everyone sped through the hatch into the shuttle. Once Alec was inside he sealed the hatch and let out a deep breath that he didn't even know he was holding.

"Computer! Begin pre-launch sequence!"

The engines hummed to life and illuminated the perimeter of the shuttle with a red and blue glow. The helm console displayed the status of the impulse and warp drive systems. Both were in normal parameters. Before doing anything else, he slid over to the auxiliary console and entered the command for a precautionary measure.

He couldn't help but go back to a week before. He was back in the Enterprise shuttlebay preparing to make a similar kind of escape. And he was sure Rene shared in the deja vu.

The launch door began to go up. Alec looked at which direction the stars were flying. Until that moment he had no idea whether or not this launch bay was located at the bow or stern of the Warbird. One or the other would dictate how the shuttle would exit the bay. The stars were flying away from them. An aft exit was preferable as the factor of speed wasn't an issue. If they had exited from the front of the ship and weren't going at an equal or higher warp factor in relation to the Warbird, they would have been overtaken and crushed as soon as they cleared the intertial dampning field.

There was no forcefield to wait for so as soon as the door was open enough for the Travioli to clear safely, Alec set the speed for twenty kilometers per hour and engaged the thrusters.

His calculations were a little off. As the Travioli flew underneath the door they heard the screeching of metal on metal and a shuddering that shook them in their seats.

"Oops." he said, hoping to curb any uneasiness. There were no comments countering his attempt.

Alec's decision to increase power to structural integrity before leaving the launch bay was well warranted as they experienced substantial shearing upon clearing the Warbird. The stress caused by such a sudden decrease in velocity had the potential to tear the ship apart. Once the shearing had ceased and they all sat unjostled, he reduced speed to zero. He immediately brought the ship around and set course for Chevris.

"What now?" asked Rene.

"Now?" Alec replied. "Time to stop the Apocalypse."


	19. Closure

Chapter 19

Closure

Sela sat patiently in one of two command chairs on the bridge. She was eager to see the weapon in use. Once the Vesuvians were out of the way they would move on to the Federation, then the Klingon Empire, then whoever dared to oppose them. Their list of enemies would shorten until all were dead or had submitted. She expected more of the former. One by one she would watch their ships burn as they were destroyed by the very thing that allowed them to travel through space. Sela not only expected it, she wanted it. Once one of the weapons was installed on her ship she would personally take it through Federation territory and demand their surrender, severing all ties to her humanity once and for all.

While her vengeance, like Tasmith's, was blood-related, Tomalak's was personal, and geared towards one person in particular: Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Picard had been responsible for every major embarrassment on Tomalak's military record. Everything from Galorndon Cor to Lorna Prime, Picard had been there each time.

At that very moment, the Starfleet man was being interrogated, hopefully with his wife watching. Once they were through with him, they would start on her, and force him to watch as well. He would learn the price for crossing them.

"Sela to interrogation, I trust our guest is comfortable." She gave a more than generous amount of time for him to respond, more than she normally would. After she called again she knew that things were not right. "Run an internal scan." she said to the science officer. "Look for human and Vesuvian lifesigns."

Only displeasing sounds came from the officer's console. "Internal and external sensors are off-line."

Sela stood up in a flash. "What?!"

As she was walking over to the science station, the lights on the bridge began to flicker. The stars on the viewscreen ceased to fly by them and simply stayed stationary.

"Mistress Sela, warp drive is-"

"I know that!" snapped Sela at the helmsman. "What else isn't working?"

The first officer activated his console for a system diagnostic. "At the moment we are without warp drive, weapons, and sensors."

Sela leaned forward against the console. "What is going-" Her gaze almost burned a hole in the viewscreen. "I knew I should have killed that Vulcan when I had the chance."

Tomalak stormed onto the bridge with all the subtlety of an ion storm. "Why have we dropped out of warp?"

Sela stepped away from the science station and moved toward her chair. "It appears that the persistent Ambassador Spock has another spy. That or the Commander is behind this."

"It would be impossible for him to cause such damage."

"Don't be so naive, Tomalak. It would be foolish to underestimate this human. He's neither weak nor stupid. If you had bothered to read his service record you would know that." She turned to the first officer. "Post extra guards around all the launch bays. And have any guard that went to their cell executed. If there is a traitor on board, we'll find him."

Tomalak took his seat next to Sela. He respected her methods of enforcement. Since she had been on board, the number of mistakes in each department had reduced to zero. No crewmember dared make a mistake out of fear of disciplinary action. It was unfortunate that Ranak had made such a grievous error, he had been one of Tomalak's best officers.

"Commander Sela," said the first officer. "Two security regimens have just checked in. The first reports that Subcenturion Charak has been found dead in the holding cell the prisoners were held in. Four sets of shackles were in the cell. One was severed by a Starfleet phaser, the others were released manually."

"How did he get his hands on a phaser?" asked Tomalak incredulously. "The transporter would have detected it."

"I told you not to underestimate him. What about the other report?"

"Second regimen reports from the main launch bay. The two posted guards were found unconscious. The Starfleet shuttle is gone."

Sela slammed her fist down on the armrest of her chair. She was tempted to go down and kill those two incompetent guards herself.

"Get sensors back online immediately. Then track their course."

"Don't bother." said Sela. "I know where they're going. Sela to Tasmith."

"_Yes?_"

"Take your ship and go after the Starfleet shuttle."

"_They escaped?_"

Sela detected excitement in Tasmith's voice. "Yes. They are on their way to Chevris. You must stop them. Capture is no longer an option. I want them dead."

"_A pity. Oh, there's one more thing._"

"What is it?" asked Sela impatiently.

"_Your officers lack endurance._"

The comchannel closed. Sela did not require an in depth explanation, she was fully aware of Tasmith's tendencies.

"Contact the prototype." she said. "Tell them to set course for Vesuvia as soon as they can. I want us to be on our way as soon as the engines are back online."

"Commander Sela," said the first officer. "One of the guards regained consciousness momentarily while in sickbay. Before going under again he said the Starfleet officer appeared with a Senior Centurion who claimed to be lost."

"There is only one Senior Centurion on this ship." said Tomalak, rising swiftly from his chair.

"I want S.C. Sardel found immediately." erupted Sela. "Once he's located put him in the launch bay with those two guards that failed. They're going to leave the ship the same way the Commander and his friends did."

"But, Mistress," said the first officer. "They are still unconscious in sickbay."

Sela turned and stared him down. "Then have them revived."

Almost immediately after the Travioli had gone to warp, Rene brought to Alec's attention something that had not been there before. Attached to the tactical console and interfaced with the sensors was a piece of Romulan technology. It did not take Alec long to discover that it was a sensor for detecting cloaked ships. A gift from their operative friend, and an invaluable one at that. It was key to their detecting the weapon ship.

When Alec thought about it, the less surprised he became that such a device existed. Romulan ships would need some way of detecting each other in order to prevent collisions. When Starfleet got their hands on it, fleetwide deployment would go a long way in preventing any further Romulan plots, at least until they made their next advancement in cloaking technology.

Once Alec activated it, he used it to keep tabs on the Warbird for as long as they were in range. Not long after the Travioli activated its warp engines, the Warbird lost power of its own. The operative had done it. He had given them the time to reach Chevris to stop the weapon ship. And Alec never even found out his name.

Although Alec wanted to fully trust the changeling, and he did to a certain degree, there was a part of him that shouted caution. Hence the quantum stasis field he activated before launch. It prevented a changeling from shapeshifting. One couldn't even revert to its natural liquid state in order to regenerate, which they must do every sixteen hours. Former Obsidian Order agent turned tailor, Garak, had reluctantly used such a device on Constable Odo when he temporarily joined his father, Enabran Tain, against the Dominion. For Odo, the experience had been far from pleasant. After the war, Starfleet had them installed on every starbase, starship, shuttle, and outpost. In the event of a Dominion resurgence they did not want to make it so easy for them to reek chaos.

When told about the QSF, the changeling expressed almost no offense, but understanding instead. The only thing he requested, was a name. Tomalak and Sela had given him a Romulan name but he found out that the word translated into 'thing.' It was no easy task, coming up with a name for a changeling. Alec didn't even know where to begin.

'Adam' was Alec's first choice, but he decided against it. He wanted to use it in the even he had another son one day. A few more options came to mind, but none seemed fitting like the one Alec finally decided on. Alec, Rene, Ty'brel, and Sha'Gra had all been through their own personal hells, and each suffering had been of a different severity. Alec could think of no better name than 'Dante.' When explained the meaning behind the name, it was met with the changeling's approval.

"I guess that makes you 'Virgil.'" said Rene to Alec.

"Let's not jump to the gun here. I'm not exactly a poet. Besides, I think our operative friend is a more likely candidate for that name."

"Your haikus do leave something to be desired." she laughed. "But you are our guide and protector."

Alec accepted that. "Let's just hope there's no visit from the boatman." he said, leaning back in the chair. "I don't plan on paying Charon today."

The Starfleet shuttle may have gotten a headstart on her, but Tasmith was quickly closing the gap. In a few minutes, she would overtake them. It was her intention to not completely obliterate the vessel, she needed some of their physical remains as proof.

She regretted it coming to this. It had been her hope to face him one last time, only in an environment more suitable for hand to hand combat. But she was eager to see how he handled himself when it came to an attack from another ship. There was one thing she was certain of: He would not submit. And that made it all the better.

Things looked good so far. The Travioli was only ten minutes away from Chevris' coordinates with no signs of enemy ships. Another good sign was that the planet had not yet appeared on sensors, which meant that it was still in subspace. It had to be brought out of subspace in order for the weapon to be used against it.

"Alec," said Rene with concern. "There's another ship showing up on sensors. It's heading for Chevris' location."

"Is it the weapon ship?"

"No," she replied, still concerned. "It's Starfleet."

"The Enterprise?" he asked. It was the only other Starfleet ship he knew of that was in the sector.

"I don't think so."

Alec left the helm and walked up to the tactical station. It was strange seeing the cockpit this full, especially with this variety: A Vesuvian and a Romulan that wasn't really a Romulan. Until a few minutes ago there had been two Vesuvians, but Sha'Gra went into the back to get some sleep.

He looked at the sensor display. It was indeed a Starfleet ship. "Hmm, Nebula-Class, NCC 781...94. U.S.S. Emissary."

"Isn't that Captain Janeway's ship?" asked Rene.

Encouraging thoughts were not as prominent in Alec's mind. "Yes, and they're headed right for Chevris."

"How can they be aware of its location?" asked Ty'brel from the science station.

"On our way to Vesuvia we detected dilithium explosions from the coordinates that matched Chevris' location. The Emissary must be investigating." The sensor add on made a rather noticeable and un-Starfleet noise followed by another contact on the display. "Uh oh. I think I just picked up the weapon ship, it's on its way to Chevris. And it's going to get there before us or the Emissary."

"Then it's over." said Ty'brel, defeat overshadowing anything else that may have been present in his voice. "Chevris is lost."

Alec stood leaning against the console, his head hung down. He couldn't believe it. There were no forcefields, guards, galactic barriers, or fleets of ships in their way, only a few minutes. He had his hand balled in a fist ready to hit the console when it occurred to him that they were not too late.

"No," he said as he rushed back to the helm. "Chevris is not lost."

Ty'brel eyed him with disbelief. "Pardon me, Commander, but I don't understand. You just said that the weapon ship will arrive there first. Who's going to stop them?"

"Nobody." said Alec. "I'm saying that they're going to wait."

"Why would they not destroy they planet? It's what they went there to do."

"They're going to wait until the Emissary is in orbit before they destroy the planet. It's called killing two birds with one stone."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Ty'brel.

"Because that's what I'd do. There's little doubt that if we've detected the Emissary the Romulans have too and know our fellow ship is on its way to Chevris. By waiting until the Emissary is in orbit they can destroy the planet and a ship that would otherwise be a witness at the same time. Chevris blows up and the Emissary gets caught in the explosion. It's ruthlessly efficient."

"But you don't know for sure."

"No!" said Alec. He was beginning to grow tired of Ty'brel's pessimism. "I don't know for sure. I can't predict the future. All I can do is assess what I know. And this is the best I've got. So if you have something better, by all means, please share it."

Ty'brel didn't speak, but Dante did. "Based on the time I spent with Romulans like Sela and Tomalak, I think I have a valid point of view. I believe the Commander is right. The captain of the weapon ship will wait."

"Thank you." said Alec, not turning around so Ty'brel not be aware of his smug smile. "We've got twenty minutes until the Emissary gets there, so-"

"Alec!" shouted Rene over a console alarm. "There's a ship decloaking behind us!"

"What?! Red alert!" Alec's order was well timed as a torpedo would have directly hit the shuttle rather than be absorbed by the shields if he had delayed.

"Shields at 86." said a calmer than expected Rene. "It's Tasmith's ship."

"How the hell did she find us again and why the hell didn't we detect her?" Alec smacked his console with his flat palm seconds before another weapons impact. He had been confident that their cover as a Bajoran assault craft would have been enough to hide them. They had found the tracking device, so unless she was simply trying her luck, there must have been some telltale sign as to their identity.

"Alec," said Rene, firmly holding the console after another torpedo hit. "We have to do something."

This was the last thing they needed right now. Not only would they be depleting whatever weapons they might need to destroy the weapon ship, but precious time as well. But there was little else to do because doing nothing and being destroyed was not a viable option.

"Taking the holoprojectors offline. We're going to need all the power we can get for the defense systems. Fire a spread of quantum torpedoes. I'm going to take us out of warp near that asteroid field ahead. We're going to try and lose her in there."

"Torpedoes away." said Rene. There was an undeniable excitement in her voice. It was her first live target. "Minor damage." Rene braced herself. "She's firing again."

Alec immediately took the ship out of warp and lowered her on her y-axis. The warp propelled - and therefore invisible - torpedoes continued on over them. He threw the Travioli into full reverse impulse and watched as their pursuer came out of warp ahead and above them.

Alec had given Rene full discretion on her target, but only to the point of not trying anything fancy. That was his territory.

With their adversary expecting to be behind them, they had the element of surprise on their side. Alec brought the Travioli right up behind the Nausicaan raider and told Rene to let loose. _Level seven._

He watched as red phaser beams and glowing cyan torpedoes struck the shields of the unprepared ship. He made sure Rene fired continuous bursts. Tasmith's ship possessed stolen regenerative shielding technology, which gave her shields a greater recharge rate. Continuous fire was the only way to drain them enough to cause structural damage.

The other ship reacted quickly. It turned to face them and opened fire. Alec tried his best to anticipate and evade but he couldn't dodge every shot. He managed to avoid the odd torpedo, but the majority of Tasmith's fire was on target. There wasn't much one could do to avoid a phaser lock either. Their shields took damage, but they didn't buckle.

As the ships passed each other, Alec ordered one more aft torpedo volley before leading at full speed to the asteroid field. He hoped that would gain them enough time to lose her. They had two advantages over her. The Travioli was more maneuverable and she was smaller, which meant that she would be able to travel faster through the field.

"One way or another." said Alec as he took the ship past the first asteroid. "This is over soon."

The asteroid field was massive. Sensors measured it at approximately two AU in diameter. It was hard for Alec to imagine an asteroid field twice as wide as the distance between the Earth and its sun. Its size gave them a fair amount of evading room. But it would also make it harder for their debris to be found should the unfortunate happen.

They watched as a bright green torpedo flew over the ship and struck an asteroid. Rocky debris erupted in several directions and boulder sized chunks were sent right into their shields. It was smart of her, very smart. Destroying the asteroids around them even more disruptive - and annoying - than firing directly at the Travioli. Alec had to concentrate even harder to keep their flight path steady.

Their pursuer was steadily losing ground, but still managed to keep them from getting as far ahead as they otherwise would have. Alec gained the most leeway in the larger gaps between the asteroids, but he was forced to slow down when she destroyed any in their path. It tempered his anger, and he could just picture her laughing.

Every so often he'd have Rene fire a torpedo from the aft launcher to try and slow up Tasmith just enough so they could gain a little more ground. Sometimes it worked and sometimes not. But he finally got to the point that he wanted to be: When they could only see her on sensors.

Without having to worry about asteroids exploding around them, Alec increased the speed slightly and set the autonavigation.

"We can't keep fighting her, Alec." said Rene, who looked worriedly at the tactical display. "We're running low on torpedoes and we only have one working phaser bank."

"I don't plan on fighting." said Alec. He stepped into the back without so much as another word before reemerging with a tricorder.

"What's that for?" asked Ty'brel.

Alec opened the tricorder and immediately started scanning. "I think there's another tracking device on board, and that the one we found before was just a decoy, a way to make us feel comfortable and stop us from looking for the real one. Everywhere we've gone, she has followed. She even found us after we destroyed the tracking device in the rear compartment. So, she's either empathic, or we missed something."

"We never scanned the cockpit." exclaimed Ty'brel, feeling like a fool.

"Exactly." said Alec, scanning every surface he could. "We stopped after we found a tracking device in the back. We had no reason to keep searching."

Alec ran the tricorder over every console, every chair, along the carpet. Nothing. He even held it up to the ceiling of the cockpit. Still nothing.

"Damnit." he said. "There has to be something _somewhere!"_

"May I see that?" asked Dante, holding out his hand. "Perhaps I could help."

"Be my guest." said Alec, handing over the tricorder. He looked out the viewport at the passing asteroids. At another time he probably would have found it exciting.

"In my time with the Romulans," began Dante, entering commands into the tricorder. "I learned a little something about their technology."

Dante pushed one final button and the tricorder erupted in a pulsing alarm. His efforts had been successful. He waved the scanner around the cockpit, searching for where the alarm grew faster. It was nearby. He stepped forward and the pulse grew faster and faster until it was a steady noise. The tricorder was pointed at Alec. More specifically, his wrist.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Alec.

"How did they get a tracking device on you?" asked Rene.

"They couldn't have. I'd have noticed if- The Vesuvian shackles. When they put them on me when I was arrested I felt a pinch on my wrist. They must have injected the tracking device that way. I just thought they were being jerks. Apparently not." Before anyone else could say a word, he Alec burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter as he looked at his right fist.

"What is so funny?" asked Rene puzzledly.

"I hit Jones for nothing."

Tasmith had lost sight of the Starfleet shuttle, for now. Not that it mattered anyway, the signal from the tracking device was coming in strong. If it were not for that she would have a difficult time following them as the deeper they went into the field the stronger the interference from minerals within the asteroids.

When she dropped out of warp in pursuit of the shuttle she experienced a rare confusion when her target was nowhere to be seen and an unexpected attack did little to curb it. But she did not allow it to distract her. She brought her ship around and sent a barrage of weapons fire at her oncoming prey. There was little for them to do as such close quarters allowed little time to maneuver. Although she was a little impressed they avoided as many shots as they did.

Once the Starfleet shuttle was behind her. She took a torpedo volley to her aft section. Just enough of one of the torpedo's quantum filaments seeped through her shields to cause a disruption in her cloaking device. Not that she planned on using it anyway.

She reduced her speed upon entering the asteroid field but increased it momentarily when permitted. The next torpedo she fired was aimed at an asteroid in proximity to her prey rather than her prey itself. A pilot could more easily adapt to weapons fire than exploding debris.

Losing sight of her prey didn't strike a blow to her resolve in the slightest. They wouldn't escape her. Nobody ever did.

Alec once more took control of the shuttle. He had a plan, but it was a long shot. And as soon as he reached the area of the asteroid field where the mineral interference was at its strongest he put it in motion.

"Someone go into the back." he said, maneuvering between the asteroids. "Open the medical locker and get a blood sampler."

Rene disappeared into the rear compartment for a few moments before quickly rushing to the helm with the gun-like blood sampler in her outstretched hand. He told her to set it on the console next to him for the time being. It was time to reactivate the holoprojectors, only this time he was choosing a disguise nobody would expect.

"Alec," said Rene, sitting back at the tactical station. She'd seen him like this before. "What's brewing in that brain of yours?"

"You'll see." he said with a grin. "Rene, would be so kind as to scan for any nearby medium sized asteroids? Preferably with a fissure at least one hundred meters deep and twenty meters across."

"I'll try." she said, beginning the scan.

"Please hurry." he said, rolling up his sleeve. "We don't have long until she gets here. Dante, can you bring that tricorder over here for a second?" In a moment he was joined by the changeling. "I need you to tell me when the tracking device is out of my arm."

Alec held the sampler against his wrist and in seconds blood began to flow into the small, clear vial that came out the back. He never liked the sight of his own blood. In the past it had sometimes made him want to retch. But not this time. Either his mind had told his body that now was not the time, or that particular part of him had finally grown up. Whichever one it was, he was grateful.

When the tube could hold no more, he removed it from its housings and held it out to the tricorder still in the hand of Dante. The scanning instrument began to pulse wildly in the same manner as before.

"Bingo." said Alec. He turned to Ty'brel and tossed him the vial. "Put this on the transporter pad, hurry. Rene, any luck with finding an asteroid?"

"It wasn't easy." she said with just a hint of pride. "These damn sensors are being stubborn. I don't think they like me. There's a couple nearby."

Alec walked up the gangway and observed the two asteroids on her sensor display. "Hmmm, this one is too big, too many other fissures." He pointed his finger at the second asteroid. "But this one is perfect."

"You're going to hide us in there, aren't you?" asked a smarmy Rene.

"In a matter of speaking." Alec walked back to the helm and slid the chair over to the auxiliary console. He set the transporter coordinates and engaged the mechanism. With transport complete he slid back to the helm and set course for the asteroid he had chosen. He grinned when he looked into the gullet of the giant piece of rock. Once more he slid over to the auxiliary console.

"What are you doing?" It was times like that Rene wished she were of Betazoid heritage so she would know with certainty what went on in her husband's head.

"Launching a probe." he said with the push of a button. "Say 'ahhh.'"

The viewport was the center of attention as the probe flew away from the shuttle and down the fissure of the asteroid before them. One by one they understood.

"You beamed the vial into the probe." Ty'brel spoke first. "Brilliant."

"Only if it works." said Alec as he veered the shuttle away from the asteroid opening and took position not far away. He disengaged the inertial dampers and activated a single thruster for less than a millisecond. When the asteroid field outside began to pivot and spin he sat back into his chair and held the back of his head in his hands.

"Aren't we an easy target out in the open?" asked Dante. "Even disguised as an adrift ship?"

"We would be," replied Alec. "If we were disguised as an adrift ship."

"Then what are we?"

"When in Rome."

"Clever." Rene laughed.

"I don't understand." said Dante, who along with Ty'brel didn't always get human sayings.

"He has us disguised as an asteroid."

"Shhh." said Alec, leaning forward and peering outside. "Here she comes."

The endless ocean of rock was growing tiresome. Tasmith was thankful it would be over soon. She was closing in on the tracking signal with her weapons systems at full readiness.

Her sensor readout showed the tracking device to be five hundred meters ahead but the shuttle were nowhere to be seen. The only thing before her was an asteroid. The fools were hiding inside. According to what scans she was able to take, that fissure before her was the only way in or out. They had sealed their own fate. There was nowhere for them to go now.

The asteroid was too large for her to destroy on its own. She would have to go in after them. Any intentions of destroying them were now gone. Once she had them trapped they would be going with her whether they wanted to or not. Sela and Tomalak need not ever know. It was her prerogative to make alterations. If it were not for her, the Tal'Shiar would not have created Sela and Tomalak's precious weapon.

She brought her ship to the mouth of the fissure. There was a clearance of two and a half meters on each side. The Starfleet shuttle would not be able to get past her. Fools.

He gave his hands a single loud clap. "Yes!" His outburst surprised everyone in the cockpit and probably jarred Sha'Gra from her sleep.

"Now what?" asked Ty'brel.

"Nowwwwww," said Alec as he reinitiated the inertial dampers and engaged thrusters. "Now, we lock the door."

He maneuvered the Travioli to the mouth of the fissure and deactivated the holoprojectors. With the ship matching the orientation of the asteroid, he left the helm and went to the tactical station. Not that he doubted Rene, but he needed precision targeting and didn't want to take any chances. He set what remained of their weapons at the fissure except for one torpedo, which he planned to fire directly down the fissure. A parting gift. _That Hound will never feed on land or pewter, but find his fare in wisdom, love, and virtue... And he will hunt that beast through every city until he thrusts her back again to Hell, from which she was first sent above by envy._

"High tide, Tasmith." said Alec with a grin. "Can you swim?"

His hand was batted away by Rene before he could fire. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"If you think that after everything that's happened in the past week that I'm going to let you push that button than you're as deluded as those two Romulans."

Alec grinned, took a step back and held out his hand to the weapons panel. "Ladies first."

"Always such a gentleman." Rene's hand hovered over the firing controls. It was steady as a rock. "This is for messing with my husband."

Tasmith didn't see it coming. While her ship was still transversing the fissure, it was rocked by a violent explosion that sent her head hard against the control panel with more force than any headbutt she had ever delivered. As she was wiping the collecting green blood out of her eyes, her ship was stuck by a collection of gyrations. Several pieces of large rock collapsed down onto the front of her ship, pinning it to the floor of the tunnel.

A fire erupted in the rear compartment of her ship, forcing her to seal the door connecting the two sections. A piece of bulkhead fell from the ceiling and because of her head wound she was unable to react quickly enough. It knocked her chair from its moorings and pinned her to the floor. She shielded her eyes from sparks that spewed from a nearby blown out console and watched as another rock struck her ship very close to the viewport. Another meter and she would have been blown out into the vacuum.

After pushing off the piece of bulkhead she slowly pulled herself up and used the console for support. A sharp pain rang in her head and her left arm was broken, the shoulder dislocated. After she wiped more blood from her vision she put her attention on the panel to find out what happened. The computer registered a direct impact by a quantum torpedo to the aft section. Not only was her ship trapped underneath several tons of rock, the entrance had been sealed. Even if she were able to free her ship from the rock, there was no way to remove the rubble from the entrance short of using her weapons. If it turned out her weapons were even still functioning they would most likely just cause further cave ins.

She had been lured into a trap. One that she should have picked up on. Her sensors now showed that the tracking signal was actually from a probe near the end of the tunnel. She only had herself to blame. She never should have underestimated her prey. Like most lessons, it was one learned too late.

Her communications console sounded. The cracked screen displayed a blue background with a collection of white stars. Coming down the sides with their stems intersecting were two olive branches. It was the insignia of the United Federation of Planets. Her former prey was hailing her. Every contingency, except this one.

_Woof._

Alec had watched as the entrance to the fissure crumbled and completely covered up any evidence there was ever an opening in the rock. They managed to collapse the entrance with two torpedoes to spare.

"Do you really think she'll answer?" asked Rene.

"Oh, she'll answer."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She'll want to see the face of the person who beat her." said Alec. The communications console sounded immediately. "Speak of the devil."

"I don't think you're too far off. I'm routing it to your monitor." Rene stepped down the incline and stood behind Alec.

He waited a few seconds for the monitor on his right to activate. The image was distorted, but he could still see enough detail. Tasmith's cockpit was in shambles. Optical cable hung down from the ceiling, smoke was in the air, a console was spewing sparks while the rest flickered. And Tasmith herself was no better off. A nasty gash was bleeding badly, blood had already soaked into her hair and streamed down her face. Her unusual posture indicated her left shoulder was dislocated. But the extent of her injuries was not the disturbing part about her appearance, it was the ever present amused smirk that once again showed itself.

"They don't make Nausicaan ships like they used to." said Alec. "You should contact the shipyard and lodge a complaint."

"Well played. I should have anticipated that."

Alec was already piloting the shuttle out of the asteroid field. The image flickered the further away they got. He was going to continue talking, but Rene was poking him in the back. "I think my wife has something she'd like to say."

Rene leaned down on the console so her face was inches away from the monitor and stared at their defeated hunter. It was her turn to smile, and smile she did. It had never felt better. "When your oxygen runs out, and you're fighting for breath, remember us."

Rene tapped the console and closed the channel. Alec took her hand and pulled her in to hold her. He could think of no better parting words.

"How much time did we lose?" asked Ty'brel.

_Too much._ Alec closed his eyes. "We'll make it."

"How much?"

"_We'll make it._"

"Alec," said Rene, squeezing his hand. "How can we stop the ship with one phaser bank and a couple of torpedoes?"

"I don't know. But I'll think of something."

It was a lie. He already knew how he would take care of it. It was the only way. _Level eight._


	20. Desolation

Chapter 20

Desolation

Captain Janeway departed her quarters into the spacious corridor. On a daily basis she saw twice as many people as she did when she was commanding Voyager. Her previous ship only had a crew of about one hundred and fifty people. The Emissary had around four hundred.

She was very proud of her current command, but it just wasn't Voyager. Not a day went by that that little Intrepid-Class ship wasn't one of the foremost things on her mind. The times they shared, the good and the bad, the fun and the danger, even though it was seven years before she anyone from home, she would live them over again. The experience had made them a family, as close as any blood tie.

Things were not the same when they returned. The Alpha Quadrant had been rocked by a devastating war. Countless ships had been destroyed, and even more live had been lost or changed forever. The Dominion presented the greatest threat to the Alpha Quadrant since the Xindi, moreso than the Borg. Janeway regretted not being able to fight alongside her fellow officers during that trial. It was possible Voyager could have been lost during one of the many, many battles. But she would have gladly died fighting if it meant preserving their way of life for generations to come.

Although she had to consider all the good that had been accomplished during their time spent on the other side of the galaxy. The biggest thing perhaps being their halting of the Species 8472 invasion. If not for their aiding the Borg - who it turned out had initiated the hostilities - the galaxy would be overrun with the alien species.

Janeway stood in wait at the turbolift doors for her transportation to the bridge. When the doors slid open, she allowed the two officers aboard the lift to step off before she herself boarded it. "Bridge."

The turbolift proceeded on its way to the top of the ship's saucer. She stepped onto the command center with her hands held behind her back in the usual manner. The bridge of the Emissary was one of those few among the Nebula-Class that possessed the original Galaxy-Class design, such as that used on the U.S.S. Galaxy and U.S.S. Enterprise-D, with a few exceptions. A beautifully carved wooden railing that arched above and behind the command chairs served as the tactical station. Directly behind tactical, and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, was the master situation monitor, which was between the LCARS and engineering stations. In the corner on her far right was the door leading to the observation lounge, which was located on the opposite side of the wall which housed the main consoles. The lounge provided a magnificent view of the stars while at warp.

Janeway proceeded down the inclined floor. She greeted Tuvok as she passed him. Along the left was the science station, manned by Seven The invaluable officer who had spent the majority of her life as a Borg drone only to be freed from the Collective by the crew of Voyager. Upon their return to the Alpha Quadrant, she turned down a teaching position at Starfleet Academy so she could join the crew of the Emissary as science officer. She was granted the rank of full lieutenant, making her status as a member of the crew official.

Further along the wall on her left was the secondary turbolift and the door to her ready room. Pivoting to her right she saw the dedication plaques directly ahead. One was for the Emissary, the other belonged to Voyager. Janeway had placed it there upon the launch of her latest command in order to commemorate the lost ship. She had taken it off the wall of Voyager's bridge before her core breached. Watching her beloved ship explode on the viewscreen of the Enterprise was a pain that would never be equaled.

Commander Chakotay, the former Maquis leader turned first officer, vacated the center seat and sat back down in the adjacent chair. "We'll be arriving at the coordinates in a few minutes, Captain."

"Good." she said, taking her seat. "I want to know what the hell is going on. Mr. Tuvok, have there been any more dilithium explosions?"

"Negative, Captain." said the Vulcan. He had been Janeway's most trusted advisor for many years.

Next to the viewscreen directly ahead, Lieutenants Tom Paris and Harry Kim sat adjacent one another at the helm and operations.

Paris had been energetic enough when he sat alone on Voyager, so it took some getting used to when his best friend sat directly next to him. "I guess we missed the party." said the onetime Maquis. He, like Chakotay, had been given a second chance in life thanksk to Janeway. He'd still be in a New Zealand penal colony if not for her. "I replicated all that popcorn for nothing."

"Should have considered that before." said Kim. In two years he had still not gotten used to sitting at his post. Due to command structure that was restricted due to their being in the Delta Quadrant, he had spent seven years as an ensign. One of the first things Janeway had done upon gaining command was grant him the rank of lieutenant junior grade as well as making a promise that his rank would make up for lost time. The promise was being kept as the previous week he received a promotion to full lieutenant. He was still beaming.

"Now you don't get any."

"Captain," said Seven. "I am detecting something unusual in the system ahead."

"Confirmed." said Tuvok, checking his own sensors. "It appeared for just a moment, then vanished."

Janeway was not a big fan of vagueness. "Define 'unusual.'"

"I cannot be certain." said Seven. "It did not appear long enough to get a specific reading."

"If you were to take a guess?" asked Chakotay.

"A cloaked ship."

"That is my assumption as well." said Tuvok. "Shall I raise shields, Captain?"

"Not yet, Mr. Tuvok. If that really is a cloaked ship out there then I don't want to do anything to let on we've seen them. But standby."

Seven tried every scan she could think of to detect the phantom ship but it was to no avail. Empty space and more empty space was all she came up with. Either there was no ship or their cloak was impervious to the Emissary's top of the line sensors.

Paris watched the arrival timer counting down on his console. He had been longing for such excitement ever since their return to the Alpha Quadrant. The other side of the galaxy wasn't home, but there was certainly no lack of things to do. The only thing he wished he could have brought back with him was his Fairhaven holodeck program.

"Entering the system, Captain." he said.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Take us out of warp."

The elongated stars ceased to be streaks and shortened into pinholes in the curtain of space. Just as long range scans showed, there was nothing of interest in the system. One sun, four planets, none of them habitable, and each of them being orbited by at least two moons.

"Full scan, Seven." said Janeway.

Seven began with the lateral sensor array, which was the main scanner. Each planet had a dilithium signature, albeit low traces, so the explosions could have come from any of them. The sun was a standard G type star, similar to Earth's sun, Sol.

Since her liberation from the Collective, she had been encouraged by Captain Janeway to 'think outside the box.' Quite often when she had done so it had met with positive results. As a former Borg drone, she knew of several ways to modify a sensor scan, but there was one she was aware of that she had not yet attempted. An inverse tachyon pulse emitted from the main deflector dish had the ability to scan beyond the subspace barrier. If there were any strange anomalies or cloaked vessels in the system, the tachyon scan should detect them.

Seven had not even yet begun the modifications when something on the standard scan alerted her to a strange discrepancy. According to the sensors, the second planet from the sun did not have a typical orbit for a planet of its size. Often, the orbit of a planet could be affected by a planet in the next orbit out, but the third planet was not close enough to effect it. Which brought her to a second oddity. The gap between the orbits of the second and third planets was atypical. Such a large gap was not very common and usually meant that a planet had had its orbit changed. But if that were the case than that meant there had been an unusually large gap between the third and fourth planets prior to the event. Something was definitely amiss.

"You're awfully quiet, Seven." observed Janeway. "Find something?"

"Possibly. There is something out of the ordinary going on in this system. I am going to execute an inverse tachyon scan."

Janeway gripped the armrests as the ship began to rumble. At first she thought she might have imagined it, but she saw the others craning their heads in an attempt to understand.

"What's that coming from?" asked Chakotay.

"It's subspace turbulence." answered Seven.

"From what?"

"Unknown."

"Captain," said Kim, easily operating his station over the gyration. "Something is coming out of subspace."

"Is it a ship?"

"Negative." Seven looked at her sensor display before meeting eyes with Janeway. "It's bigger. This is unrelated to my scan"

"Put it on screen."

In an instant, all heads stopped craning and were fixated on the viewscreen. The change in stars was indiscernible, however there was no missing what appeared among them. A small, black void appeared in the center of the screen. The circular nothingness expanded until it filled the display, at which point Janeway ordered the magnification decreased. The sensors registered nothing there, yet they could see it, it was three dimensional.

The next occurrence was just as surprising. A second orb began to expand in the very center. In the span of the thirty seconds it took to fill the black orb, they were able to pick out oceans, continents, polar ice caps, and clouds on the ever expanding second orb, which as no clear to them to be a planet.

Paris stared at the viewscreen and blinked. "I'm starting to wish I brought that popcorn up here."

Even if the engines would have allowed the Travioli to go a tenth of a warp factor faster, it would have cut minutes off their travel time. But at the rate the arrival counter went down, they might as well have been going at impulse. Alec would have gotten out and pushed if it would have made a difference.

Moments ago, sensors detected the U.S.S. Emissary entering the Chevris system. Hailing attempts had been unsuccessful. They were being jammed. Roughly a minute later, an extreme subspace disturbance appeared. Rene could not fully understand what the sensors were telling her, but as best she could interpret, a planet came out of nowhere.

"Dante!" said a frantic Alec. "How long does that need weapon need to activate?"

"For a ship it takes about a minute to resonate within the crystals." said Dante. "But they've never tried it on a planetary scale before, it could take longer. And range is a factor as well. They would need to be within two hundred kilometers of their target. But once the dilithium begins to resonate their presence is no longer needed."

"Meaning once the chain reaction has started, they can get to a safe distance and laugh." Alec grumbled. They were almost out of time.

If there was only a way to cut through the Romulan jamming signal, they could warn the Emissary, but there was nothing on board that would allow them to do so. He had the nagging compulsion to try once more, despite knowing the result ahead of time.

"No goddamn way!" he shouted, almost jumping out of his chair. There was no need to cut through the jamming signal, it was no longer present.

'What is it?" asked Rene, saying what they were all thinking.

He didn't answer, he didn't want to waste whatever time he might have. "U.S.S. Emissary, this is Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson, come in, Emissary." _Please, let this get to them. I'll give up Romulan Ale._

"Sensor scan." Janeway rose from her chair and stepped closer to the viewscreen, still unable to believe her eyes.

"Already scanning, Captain." said Seven. "The planet is Class M, but there is no magnetic field present. No life signs. However there are traces of recent mining."

"So it was inhabited at one point." said Chakotay. "Now we have two questions that need answering: What was it doing in subspace, and what brought it out?"

"Captain." There was a very noticeable change of inflection in Seven's voice. Janeway had only heard it once or twice before. "The core of that planet is made of pure dilithium."

"What?!"

"A planet with a core of dilithium?" The expression on his face said everything. "How is that possible?"

"I am uncertain." Seven double checked and triple checked her sensor results to be sure. "The Borg have never encountered anything like this."

"I don't think anyone has." said an awestruck Kim.

"Except the Vesuvians."

"Captain?" said Paris.

"This must be one of their mining planets. It would explain the recent activity, and its proximity to their homeworld."

"It explains the dilithium readings," added Kim. "But not the explosions."

"Sending it into subspace must be a precautionary measure against hostile species." said Chakotay.

"A wise precaution." added Tuvok. "That much dilithium could power fleets of starships for an immeasurable length of time."

"If there are no lifesigns," began Kim. "Then who brought it out of subspace?"

Tuvok was fascinated by the discovery, but he was not able to learn anything further. His communications console began to sound. Someone was hailing them. "Captain, there is an incoming transmission."

Janeway had not heard the hail, but turned her head slightly upon hearing Tuvok. She seemed only half interested. "Source?"

Tuvok raised his eyebrow. "It is a priority one signal, from Commander Wilson."

Her attention was no longer divided. "On screen." she said urgently.

The viewscreen changed momentarily. The man centered in the screen was almost indistinguishable from the one they had met before. He had a weeks worth of facial hair covering a bruised, weary face. His eyes were red and baggy, and his hair was tussled. But there was no mistaking the worry on his face.

"Captain Janeway! You have to get out of there now!"

"What's wrong Commander?" she asked, concerned.

"There is a cloaked Romulan ship in the area, it's going to destroy the-"

The viewscreen flashed back to the previous display of the planet, leaving them all wonder as to the meaning of his message.

"Mr. Tuvok," said Janeway urgently as she turned to face tactical. "What happened?"

"His signal is being jammed."

"Destroy what?" inquired Paris. "The planet?"

"How can one Romulan ship destroy a planet?" asked Kim.

"Only two species have demonstrated the ability to destroy a planet in the past." said Seven. "The Xindi, and Species 8472. Neither of which are likely to be assisting the Romulans."

"Captain," said Tuvok, the Vulcan equivalent of wariness in his voice. "I believe it prudent to heed the Commander's warning. I am reading a massive instability in the planet's dilithium."

"I am reading surface ruptures across the planet." warned Seven. "The crust is imploding."

"Tom!" exclaimed Janeway. "Get us out of here!"

"Way ahead of you, Captain." Paris frantically worked his console. He set a reverse course back to Vesuvia. _Damn._ The engines would not engage. "Captain, whatever brought that planet out of subspace is having a lingering effect. I can't form a stable warp field."

"Full impulse, get us as far away as possible."

Janeway and Chakotay quickly returned to their seats and gripped the armrests. The image on the viewscreen was as amazing as it was horrifying. For an instant, the planet seemed to shrink in size by one quarter, then the atmosphere was stripped away. Every single body of water on the surface froze in an instant upon being exposed to the extreme cold of space. If there had been any life on the planet, such life would have died at that moment. Canyon-sized cracks formed across the planet and gargantuan plumes of dust and ice exploded upward across the surface as the crust lost its cohesion. The dust clouds were replaced by white plumes as the energy within the dilithium was released. The planet finally broke apart. Moon-sized pieces of rock were sent in all directions in a flash of light brought on by the full destruction of the core.

"Auxiliary power to aft shields." said Janeway, calmly but urgently.

Paris did his best to avoid the planetary debris, but there was simply too much of it for a ship of the Emissary's size to avoid. Sparks spewed from consoles as the shields surged to protect the ship from harm. Each time, Paris had to hold on to his console and correct the ship's orientation.

"Shields down to 63." warned Tuvok.

"Janeway to Torres, can we boost power to the impulse engines?"

"_Not without taking it from the shields."_

"I advise against that, Captain."

"Looks like we go with the lesser of two evils." said Chakotay.

"Captain," said Paris. "We have another problem, the release of energy produced a shockwave, even with a boost to the impulse engines we couldn't outrun it."

"Let's see it." The greyish shockwave moved steadily toward them, pushing the larger debris along with it and obliterating the smaller pieces. "Suggestions."

Tuvok already had one planned out. "Recommend we transfer all available power to the shields, excluding life support and thrusters. I could then attempt to alter our shield polarity to match that of the shockwave."

"Do it."

"Seven of Nine, your assistance, please. I require-"

"The polaric frequency is seventy-nine teraHertz."

"Adjusting shield polarity."

"Twenty seconds to impact." warned Paris.

Even without debris striking the shields there was a steady rumbling. "Subspace rip tide." said Kim. "It's coming from the edge of the shockwave."

"Ten seconds."

"Janeway to all hands, brace for impact."

"Five seconds."

Tuvok's plan took the edge off of the impact but it was still far from smooth. The shockwave propelled them forward in their seats and forced the stern of the ship upwards, sending it into a virtual nose-dive. Paris used the thrusters to prevent the ship from going end over end. The LCARS console exploded, and the inserted chair underneath it was thrown against the tactical station just a meter away from Tuvok.

The worst had past. It took a few moments for the Emissary to clear the wake of the shockwave but they all breathed sighs of relief. However, they were only currently aware of the situation on the bridge.

"Damage report." said Janeway, brushing hair from her eyes.

"Shields are off-line." said Tuvok, summarizing the report on his console. "There are at least a dozen microfractures along the hall, repair crews are being dispatched at this moment."

"Casualties?" inquired a concerned Chakotay.

"Ten people have been submitted to sickbay with major injuries. Six with minor ones. No fatalities."

Lieutenant Torres stepped off the main turbolift with what seemed like the weight of the world on her shoulders, it was at least the weight of a starship. The engineering station was her immediate destination. It lit up at her touch.

"Report, B'Elanna." said Janeway.

"I had to evacuate engineering and perform an emergency core shutdown. That shockwave overloaded half a dozen systems and blew out an EPS relay. I didn't want to risk a core breach."

It was the right thing to do in Janeway's mind. "How long to restart the core?"

"Fifteen minutes to replace the EPS relay, another ten to reinitiate the matter/antimatter reaction."

"Good."

"I miss the Borg." said Paris, feigning unhappiness. "They never blew up planets."

Apocalypse

At first, Alec could not understand why the jamming signal had ceased. He didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he couldn't leave it alone. It was nothing they could have done, they had neither the time nor the ability to cut through the interference. Then, he remembered something the operative told him. There were two more operatives, one had gone missing and another was on the weapon ship. She must have performed another act of sabotage to allow them to send a message. That was now two Romulans he knew of that risked their lives for something other than the advancement of the Empire. It was likely that there were many more. He just hoped their efforts weren't in vain. The warning message was successfully conveyed before the jamming signal was back in place. The rest was up to Janeway.

Sensors picked up the destruction of the planet and the ensuing shockwave. It was at that point the scanners were blinded by strong EM interference and contact with the Emissary was lost. They would have to wait until it cleared before they could determine their next course of action. Alec hated the waiting game, even of it was only a few minutes. But he was optimistic. If there was a captain that could look out for her crew, it was Janeway.

"Alec," said Rene. "I've had a _lot_ of time to think the past few days, and I want to stay on the Enterprise for now."

He spun his chair around. "Are you sure?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. The past week has made me wish that I had joined Starfleet. We have at least three years before Sonia and James enter school, and we have that long to decide."

"And if I'm court-martialed?"

"Then it's off to Angel Falls."

Alec grinned and spun back to face the helm. "I hear the base jumping is excellent."

Rene glimpsed the console and as she did her smile faded. "The interference has cleared."

Alec's stomach tightened. "And?"

She read the results of the scan, and breathed easier knowing she wouldn't have to be the bearer of bad news. "They're alright!" her voice exploded.

Alec almost jumped at her outburst, but he welcomed the update. "And the weapon ship?"

It took Rene a moment to locate it, and when she did, her excitement dropped off. "They're closing on the Emissary."

"They're moving in to finish the job. How long?"

"Two minutes until they're in range to use the weapon."

Alec peeked at the arrival counter. One minute and thirty seconds to the Chevris system. "Plan A is on. Boy are they in for a surprise."

"What exactly are you planning?" asked Ty'brel.

"And spoil the surprise?"

"Captain." said Tuvok, looking at his display. "A Delta-Class shuttle is approaching the system."

Janeway's head perked up. "That must be the Travioli."

"Looks like we'll get to thank Alec in person." said Chakotay, checking the repair progress on his side console.

Janeway nodded. "There's a lot of questions I'm interested in hearing the answers to. Mr. Tuvok, can you hail them?"

"Negative, Captain. The jamming signal is still in effect."

"Can you identify the signature?"

"I have been attempting to do so. There are three species that use this particular technique of jamming: Breen, Ferengi, and Romulan."

"Well," said Paris. "I think we can narrow that list down to one."

"Romulans." said Janeway, shaking her head and looking upward. "Why does that not surprise me?" she said to nobody in particular.

"The Travioli is coming out of warp." said Tuvok. "And her weapons are armed."

Alec did not hesitate to cruise at full impulse. Luckily for them, the shockwave appeared to destroy most of the debris. Those larger pieces that still remained were easily avoided. He couldn't describe the feeling if he tried, knowing that a planet had once been there and all that remained were these large floating chunks and microscopic particles. Upon nearing the planet before it was destroyed they detected no lifesigns. Whether it was because they were already dead or shipped offworld they could not tell.

"What's the Emissary's status?" asked Alec while veering to starboard.

Rene scanned their counterpart and frowned. "Her shields are down and her weapons are off-line."

"That damn shockwave." Alec flew the shuttle over a large mass of debris. There was another large chunk directly behind it. He reacted quickly and took the ship straight up at a ninety degree angle and cleared it. The Emissary was directly ahead in the viewport. "Even if they could detect the weapon ship they couldn't do anything. Rene, arm those last two torpedoes but _don't_ fire."

She didn't understand but did as she was asked. "All is going to plan I take it."

"So far. I'm linking the autonavigation system with the sensors."

"_That's_ your plan?" asked Rene, who was no longer in the dark. She had enough pieces put in front of her to see the picture they formed. "Are you crazy?"

"Who said that?" Alec joked. He quickly connected the two systems and set the shuttle on a collision course within the cloaked Romulan vessel, which had not yet activated the weapon. He had no intention of giving them the chance. He left the helm for the last time.

"What if they move when they see us coming?" she asked. It was a good question.

"That's why I'm doing this." he said as he reached down to the tactical console. With the last functioning phaser bank he locked onto the weapon ship's impulse engine. The red particle beam struck their invisible target and an explosive plume shot outward into space. The weapon ship's cloak failed and it momentarily appeared in a wavy distortion before disappearing again.

Alec rushed into the back and grabbed his katana, pulling the strap over his head. He asked for the tricorder that Dante used to find the tracking device and held it next to the Romulan sensor add-on. The information download was completed very quickly. The ability to detect cloaked Romulan ships could now be implemented in all Starfleet ships.

"Everybody get ready." he said, heading for the back once more.

"For what?" asked Ty'brel.

Alec did not answer, he let his fingers do the talking. With the push of a few buttons he initiated a site to site transport. In about six seconds they were all on the bridge of the Emissary, the subjects of many puzzled looks and one drawn phaser at the hand of Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, which was instantly holstered.

"Captain Janeway," said Alec. "We were in the neighbourhood-"

An explosion on the viewscreen turned his head. The Travioli had just impacted with the weapon ship and the two armed torpedoes contained within her had detonated, destroying the sturdy shuttle and causing a chain reaction within the weapon ship's own systems. The port wing of the weapon ship broke off and flew out into space and impacted with a piece of planetary debris, disintegrating instantly. The ship itself detonated before the wing completed its final flight. The explosion rocked the Emissary less than it would have if power had not been increased to structural integrity.

Alec bid a posthumous goodbye to his pride and joy. The Travioli did more than he could have hoped. She protected them, carried them on their journey, and helped rid them of a galactic threat. He would miss her as much as any flesh and blood person.

"Commander Wilson." said Janeway, almost impatiently.

"Captain Janeway." he said. "I'm guessing you want to know what's going on."

"The thought crossed my mind."


	21. Cessation

Chapter 21

Cessation

_Captain's log, stardate 57517.7. Lieutenant Commander Wilson has brought us up to speed on everything that has happened since the orchestrated fake assassination of President Sha'Gra. The thought of our enemies using our own dilithium against us frightens me. After restarting the warp core we have laid in a course back to Vesuvia._

Alec and Rene went to the quarters provided to them. Rene fell right to sleep, and Alec tried but couldn't, despite how much he wanted this day to end. It was not over. The weapon ship may have been destroyed but Sela and Tomalak were still out there, and they would try again. He just wished he knew when.

After what seemed like endless tossing and turning, Alec got out of bed rather than risk waking Rene. Hell hath no fury like a woman woken up. Following some time spent in the sonic shower, he dressed himself in the uniform provided to him by Captain Janeway. Although she was not his captain and therefore could not reinstate him to active duty, she considered him a valuable asset and granted him access to all areas of the ship.

Whenever he needed to unwind back on the Enterprise, he liked going for a walk through her decks. Just because he was on a different ship didn't mean it shouldn't work just as well. The Emissary was smaller than the Enterprise but it had roughly the same amount of people on board. He expected to come across more than he was used to.

He had never been aboard a Nebula-Class ship before, but he tried to make himself as familiar as possible with all active Starfleet ship classes. The corridors were roomier than he expected.

It didn't take him long to decide that he preferred the corridors on the Enterprise. It was like sleeping in someone else's bed, a certain uneasiness was always there. And it didn't help that there were only eight people out of the eight hundred on board that he was familiar with.

Had the Emissary been a Galaxy-Class starship, the saucer would have been moreso relegated to living quarters, but because the drive section was smaller, work areas were more abundant. Their astrometrics lab was among the best he'd ever seen, second perhaps only to the Enterprise. He didn't bother to look at their holodecks, there wasn't much room for improvement in the technology.

The one area where the Emissary had the edge over the Enterprise was her sensor arrays. The Nebula-Class, while primarily a ship of exploration as per the Starfleet charter, was designed to be more of a science vessel. There were two variations, one with a sensor pod, and one with a weapons pod. The reason being 'there's no telling what's out there.' The Emissary was of the latter design. During the war, when exploration was not the Federation's foremost concern, the sensor pod located at the very top of the secondary hull was replaced with a weapons pod. All such alterations had since been reversed, but she could still pack a punch.

Alec's walk brought him to the sterile environment of sickbay. There was still one member of the crew he had not seen: Dr. John Gillies, the emergency medical holographic program from Voyager.

The EMH Mark I was originally designed as a short term supplement to a ship's chief medical officer. It was a walking talking encyclopedia of medical knowledge that was capable of performing any task that a flesh and blood doctor could, as long as it was performed within the confines of sickbay where the holoemitters were located. The installation of holoemitters on all decks of each ship equipped with an EMH now allowed them to go wherever they were needed. But with the twenty-ninth century mobile emitter that he attained, Dr. Gillies had been able to do so before, and was currently the only EMH with the ability to leave his ship.

When they had been stranded in the Delta Quadrant, the crew of Voyager had been forced to improvise. With replacement medical personel at least seventy-five years away, the EMH was given a more permanent capacity. The holographic man had gone seven years without a name, but he finally decided to name himself after a renowned physician from late twentieth century Earth.

The Emissary was currently one of only two ships in the fleet that had a crewmember in a major position that was classified as an artificial lifeform. Starfleet had tried to convince Janeway to assign a 'real' doctor and to include the more advanced Mark IV EMH as a supplement, but she refused. Her and her crew had been adamant that he be included. His experiences with them had made him as much a part of the crew as any flesh and blood officer. Although, he had wholeheartedly accepted the full medical staff.

"Commander!" said Gillies as he extended his hand. "I had heard you were on board. What brings you to my humble abode?"

"I have a few bumps and bruises that need mending, Doc."

Gillies gestured to a biobed and picked up a medical tricorder. "You've come to the right place. "Please have a seat." he said as he opened the tricorder and removed the peripheral. "You just missed President Sha'Gra. Her ordeal with the Romulans left her worried."

"How is she?"

"Aside from a case of malnutrition she was in perfect health. Commander, just out of curiosity, you weren't always a Bajoran, were you?"

Alec touched his wrinkled nose and dangling earring. He had completely forgotten about the surgical alterations that Bashir had made. As had Rene forgotten about the Trill spots that had been added to her face and neck.

"I also need some minor surgery." he said as he removed the earring after explaining his appearance.

"Coming right up." Gillies put away the tricorder and proceeded to heal Alec. "How did you get the injuries?" he asked in an attempt at small talk.

"Don't insult my wife's cooking." Alec joked.

Gillies stopped for a moment and his look of concern vanished as he realized his patient was pulling his chain. "Be thankful it wasn't Lieutenant Torres."

After Alec's injures were healed, he was anesthetized so Gillies could reverse the surgical alterations to his nose. He woke up feeling refreshed, but he knew it was only a temporary effect of the drug used to wake him.

"So," said the Doctor as he replaced his instruments and handed a padd to a member of his staff. "Can I schedule Mrs. Wilson?"

Alec hopped off of the biobed and shook off the slight dizziness. "Actually, I'm going to try and convince her to keep the spots."

Gillies had never met a human that didn't have at least some interest in the exotic. As a holographic human, he himself was no exception.

"Thanks for making me my old self, Doc. But if you'll excuse me, I've got to sepak to B'Elanna."

Alec left sickbay and made his way down to engineering. He spotted the warp core immediately upon entering. The pulsing could be heard throughout the ship. It was about half the size of the core back on the Enterprise, and with easier access to the crystal chamber, which was at deck level. Like any engine room, there were countless computer consoles.

Alec heard a woman giving orders from the second level. There was no question it was the voice of Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, the half human/half Klingon chief engineer who had been Chakotay's chief engineer on board his old Maquis ship. She stood holding a padd at the gangway railing that circled the core. She had not seen him yet.

"You call this running an engine room?" he called up.

Torres took her eyes off the padd and looked down to see who had spoken. She smirked and shook her head. "Can I help you?"

"That's what I'm hoping."

She placed the padd on a nearby console and climbed down a ladder to the main level. "Can't sleep?" she asked as she neared.

He turned and leaned against the railing that directly circled the warp core. "Not yet. Too much on my mind." He reached out and rapped his knuckles against the intermix chamber. "Like your ship still being in one piece. I did the math. After the planet was destroyed, the Romulans had enough time to get in range of the Emissary and use their weapon, but they didn't."

Maybe they were waiting for the Travioli to get within range before they went to capacity."

Alec had considered that but ruled it out. He shook his head. "We were coming like a bat out of hell, they must have known we were coming to stop the. I think something must have happened that prevented their weapon from working."

Torres looked at her warp core and tried not to imagine the end result of Romulan success. "But what?"

"That's why I'm here." he pushed off from the railing and faced her. "What happened after the planet was destroyed?"

It was Torres' turn to lean against the railing. She did so with one hand. "We couldn't establish a stable warp field because of a subspace eddy that decided to stick around after the Romulans brought the planet out of hiding. Planetary debris weakened the shields, then the shockwave hit. We were lucky, that shockwave knocked out several systems. I had no choice but to shut down the core before it was next. An EPS conduit-"

"Wait wait wait! You shut down the core?" _Noooo, it can't be that easy._

"Yes." she said, taking her hand off the railing. "I didn't think a breach would have impressed Captain Janeway."

Alec couldn't believe it. The solution was so simple that a child could have come up with it. He held his forehead and chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"That shockwave may have saved your lives."

"Like putting out a match when you're surrounded by petroleum," said Alec to the senior staff in the observation lounge. "We just turn it off."

"Please explain, Commander." said Janeway.

"B'Elanna did the right thing when she took the warp core off-line, more than she could have known at the time. When she shut down the matter/antimatter reaction, she took away what would have destroyed the ship. The Romulans knew this, that's why they didn't use the weapon on the Emissary. They must have been waiting for your warp core to come back online."

Kim took a few moments to digest everything. "I wonder why they decided to wait for us to have Vesuvian dilithium. Wouldn't they have tried testing it on some of ours first?"

"They would have, it must not have worked. They would have been able to get their hands on our dilithium, but not one of our warp cores. There are two factors that I think could have worked onto it. The first being the matter/antimatter reaction itself."

"Just to be sure," began Torres. "I ran a molecular scan of the crystals in the articulation chamber."

"What did you find, Ms. Torres?" asked Janeway as she crossed her hands on the long, shiny table.

"There was a minute degradation in the crystal's structure, but not enough to cause any concern. The matter and antimatter streams must make the crystal susceptible to whatever frequency the Romulans are using to shatter them."

"Wait a second," said Paris. "What about the planet? Call me shortsighted, but I can't picture a matter/antimatter reaction extreme enough to send a planet into subspace or to affect that much dilithium."

"That brings me to number two." said Alec. "Vesuvian dilithium is incredibly pure. According to Ty'brel, impurities make up less than 0.1 of its composition. That's why it's so high grade. That's also why it was so affected by Romulan's weapon."

"I'm afraid we're missing the bigger picture." added Chakotay. "Shutting down the warp core may prevent them from using the weapons successfully, but with ships running on reserve power, shields won't last long in a firefight and neither will weapons. We'd be sitting ducks."

"It's not a permanent solution." admitted Alec. "But it's a step in the right direction. When we get this back to Starfleet Tactical I'm sure they'll come up with something."

"I hope so, Commander." said Janeway grimly. "Because the thought of a Romulan armada crossing the Neutral Zone does not sit well. The amount of devastation they could reap and sow would be unparalleled."

After the meeting, Alec politely declined an invitation to join Paris and Kim on the holodeck and returned to his quarters. Fatigue had begun to kick in and would have made him incapable of living up to Captain Proton's standards. They failed to entice Seven of Nine as well.

Rene was awake and waiting when he entered. She sat on the sofa staring down into a cup of tea on the table in front of her. "And just where have you been?"

He removed his uniform tunic and slung it over the back of the sofa before sitting next to Rene. He exhaled loudly as he eased into the cushion. "Too many things on my mind. I went for a walk to clear my head. Managed to get some answers."

Rene leaned over and rested her head on his chest, feeling it rise and descend with his lungs. She felt his hand begin stroking her hair. "Not all?"

His mind was getting hazy. "I don't think anyone manages to get all the answers they want." he said in an attempt to be philosophical.

"Nice viewpoint, Aristotle."

Although she still had angry feelings towards him for leaving her on the Enterprise, they had steadily declined over the past few days. By not leaving it alone he was helping save billions of lives from either slavery or worse. It was hard for her to stay mad when she considered the alternative implications. Rene considered herself lucky Alec was the man he was, others would have waited for it to play out, some would have given up. He was not a patient enough man to wait, and giving up was simply not in his nature. Their children, and his parents, would have been proud of him.

"I think Romulan Ale is in order when we get back to the Enterprise." said Rene. She at least expected a chuckle from him, he knew she couldn't stand the alien beverage, but he didn't respond. She lifted her head and looked up at his face. His eyes were closed and he was beginning to snore lightly. Rene smiled and lay her head back on his chest. Sleep came to her in about as much time as it took to close her eyes.

A summoning message from Captain Janeway roused Alec from sleep. Rene was not at his side as he remembered her being before he went under. He removed a blanket he didn't recall covering himself with and retrieved his uniform tunic. After thanking his good fortune for being with such a woman, he left his quarters for the bridge.

He stepped off the turbolift and immediately heard Rene's laugh. The bridge of a starship was one of the last places he expected to see her. Her head was visible on the other side of the wooden railing, as was President Sha'Gra's.

"Greetings, Commander." said Tuvok as he noticed Alec. Alec received another greeting from Seven as he passed the science station.

"You wished to see me, Captain." he said as he faced her.

Ty'brel sat to the left of Chakotay in a V.I.P. stool, while Sha'Gra was on Janeway's right in the third chair, followed by Rene in the other V.I.P. stool. Dante was there was well, standing next to Ty'brel. Janeway had been apprehensive about having a changeling on board at first but she believed that his desire to return home was genuine and allowed him remain out of the brig.

"Yes, Commander." said Janeway graciously. She seemed to be fighting a smile. "I'd say have a seat but I think we've run out."

"That's alright, Captain. I'm used to standing when I'm on duty."

"Fair enough. We'll be entering the Vesuvian system momentarily. I felt that you'd want to be here so they can personally thank you for bringing their president back alive."

Alec grinned. "I appreciate that, Captain." The apology alone would probably make the whole endeavour worthwhile.

He now noticed that it wasn't just Janeway that was smiling. Chakotay, Ty'brel, and Sha'Gra all seemed on the verge of a laughing fit. None of them were able to make eye contact either. Then there was Rene, she was looking _too_ innocent. He had seen that face too many times to fall for it again, and he didn't need long to figure it out.

"You told them didn't you?" he asked Rene.

There was no more restraint. An explosion of laughter erupted from the semicircle of chairs, confirming his suspicion. Rene had told them about his most embarrassing moment. Back when he and James Moore were still attending Starfleet Academy, before he and Rene were married, she had helped James pull off his first and only successful practical joke on Alec. It was Alec and Rene's first time using the transporter. She had made up and excuse for having to beam back to the Academy grounds early, and when it was Alec's turn, James beamed him over to their dorm room without any clothing, in full view of their welcome back party.

Rene told the tale of the incident whenever she needed a story to top someone else's. She rarely came in second.

If she had done this a week ago, he probably would have gotten upset. But in lieu of recent events, a little jocularity was exactly what everyone could use. Rene had to have come to the same conclusion. He couldn't help but join the laughter.

"I'm sorry, Alec." said Rene, making eye contact for the first time since he came onto the bridge. There was no mistaking the puppy dog eyes. "We were in her ready room having coffee and it just slipped out."

"You're getting a pass this time." he said.

Paris swiveled his chair to get a glimpse of the scene. "Have we missed something?"

"I'll tell you later." said Rene.

"Noooo, you won't."

Paris turned his chair back around and checked the arrival counter. "We're entering the Vesuvian system, Captain."

"Slow us to impulse, Lieutenant."

Chakotay turned to Alec, who despite the smile on his face had gone a little red in the cheeks. "Don't worry, Commander. I had something similar happen to me in my Academy days. Although I had my combadge."

"Good to know I'm not the only one." said Alec, feeling a little better.

The Emissary cruised through the system to the sole inhabited planet. They all looked forward to a little rest and relaxation. Enough excitement had been seen to last anyone years, and near destruction tended to take the wind out of anyone's proverbial sails. Conversation passed the minutes. To Alec's relief there was no more references to his undiginified moment, although they subject was still not entirely present. There were most likely people still loyal to Sela and Tomalak on Vesuvia. The immediate threat was over and the conspiracy uncovered which would drive them underground until the time came to act again. But when that time came, Vesuvia and the Federation would be ready.

Ty'brel was just happy to finally be home. After two years in self exile, he was eager and ready to pick up his life where he left off. And he made himself a promise to not live his life in fear nor to run away into hiding again. He could not live with that shame, not considering what it almost cost the first time.

A tear almost came to Ty'brel's eye upon seeing his planet on the viewscreen and Sha'Gra let out an audible gasp. Prior to the past few days, neither expected to ever see home again so any excitement was contained until the moment came.

"Standard orbit, Mr. Paris."

"Aye, Captain. Standard orbit."

"Commander," said Janeway to Alec. "Would you like to ring the bell?"

Alec held up his hand. "It's your ship, Captain."

Janeway nodded. "Mr. Tuvok, open a channel to the Parliament."

"Yes, Captain."

In moments, the voice of a female administrator answered over the comchannel. _"Welcome back, U.S.S. Emissary. Please standby."_

Sha'Gra and Ty'brel were frozen in horror, and Alec lunged at the companel installed in Janeway's armrest. "Wilson to Torres, shut down the warp core _immediately!"_

"_Commander, what's going-"_

"_Do it!_" yelled Alec. "Commander Tuvok, shunt emergency power to the shields!"

"Commander Wilson," said Janeway sternly. "When you're done giving orders on my bridge I'd appreciate an explanation."

Alec was almost too wound up to speak. But he had no doubts he was right. Had any existed he would need only the looks on the faces of his Vesuvian friends to affirm himself. "That was Sela's voice, Captain."

Janeway's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open as her head snapped towards the viewscreen. "Are you certain?"

"It's her, Captain." said Ty'brel. His skin had gone a paler shade of blue. "Until a few days ago I had never seen her face, but I had her voice in my head for two years."

"But why shut down the warp core?"

"I think there's another weapon ship and that she intends to use it on Vesuvia." He hadn't made the connection until now. Vesuvia had dilithium present in its crust. He had seen it first hand when he was in the cavern.

Janeway turned back to Sha'Gra. "Vesuvia has-"

"No, the core isn't made of dilithium. But there are extensive deposits throughout the crust. My planet would never recover."

Janeway put her eyes back on the viewscreen. "Janeway to Torres, if you haven't followed the Commander's order, do so quickly."

"They must have intercepted the hail." said Chakotay.

"Mr. Tuvok," said Janeway. "What's the status of the cloak sensor?"

"The recalibration is almost complete, Captain. It should be online within minutes."

"Captain..." said an apprehensive Kim.

Janeway heard his warnings and saw what it was for moments later. Complete and after silence took hold of the bridge as not one, but two Romulan Warbirds shimmered into existence in front of the Emissary. Their large curved beaks looked as vicious and capable of tearing at their innards as that of any flesh and blood raptor. _Level nine._

Alec found himself speaking aloud the words of Dante when the poet had first seen Lucifer. "'Do not ask me how I grew faint and frozen then- I cannot write it; all words would fall far short of what it was.'"

"'I did not die.'" continued Janeway.

"And I was not alive." finished Chakotay.

'Their weapons are fully charged, Captain." warned Tuvok.

"We'll make no aggressive movements." advised Janeway. "I'm not going to give them any excuses to open fire."

"Not that they'd need one." said the always opinionated Paris.

Janeway almost scolded him, but she couldn't deny that he was right. "Whatever you're waiting for," she said to the Romulan ships. "Just do it."

Tuvok's console sounded. "It appears the wait is over, Captain. The lead Warbird is hailing us."

Janeway cleared her face of all emotion but resolve. She did not intend to be or appear intimidated. "On screen."

The Romulan that sat centered on the Romulan bridge was the spitting image of intimidation. She was leaning forward, elbows on her knees, and her hands locked together. Janeway was not the only one that had emptied her face of emotion, Sela was staring forward in a cold, hard expression. A Klingon would be wary.

"The illustrious Captain Janeway." said Sela mockingly. "I've heard of you and the U.S.S. Voyager but I never thought we'd meet."

"Nor did I, Sela. Did you enjoy your exile?" Janeway almost smirked as Sela twitched at her remark.

Sela's cold stare almost faded when she noticed Alec standing near Sha'Gra. She did not expect to see him ever again. And her gaze did not go unnoticed by him.

"Surprised to see me?" he asked, stepping forward. "I would be too."

"And Tasmith?"

"Try checking out an asteroid field nearby. If you're lucky, you might find her in about twenty or thirty years. She might be a little cold by then though." Alec looked over at Dante, wondering why Sela hadn't said anything upon seeing him. He saw that it was because she hadn't. The changeling had taken the form of a Starfleet officer.

"I do not know how you managed to survive, but soon that will no longer be an issue."

"We won't allow you to destroy Vesuvia." warned Janeway. It was an idle threat, but it was all she had.

"I commend your gaul, Captain." said Sela in an almost respectful manner. "But even at full capacity you would be no match for two of our Warbirds, let alone one."

"Maybe not." Janeway matched Sela stare for stare. "But we'll buy as much time as we can before the Enterprise returns."

Sela's expression was that of someone who had just put the final nail in the coffin of her true enemy. "The Enterprise won't be returning anytime soon. You know as well as I do she's halfway to the Neutral Zone investigating the destruction of the first of many Starfleet vessels to fall before us."

"So," said Alec. "There is a second weapon ship."

"The prototype still remains."

"We both know that you can't destroy the planet." said Janeway. She would not let remorse for the crew of the U.S.S. Falcon cloud her thoughts. There would be time for that later, she hoped.

"The planet won't be destroyed." admitted Sela cruelly. "But there is enough dilithium in the crust to ensure enough damage done that the population will wish it had been. And you can do nothing but watch."

The comline closed. Janeway had no cards to play. It felt like she was playing a pair of deuces against a flush. "Status on the sensors, Mr. Tuvok."

"Still inoperative, Captain."

"At least they don't know we have the ability to detect the ship." said Ty'brel.

"At this juncture I believe the correct term is 'imminent' ability." noted Seven of Nine. "And it will be irrelevant if the planet is devastated."

"If we do attain it," began Alec. "I'm for locating the weapon ship and destroying it, then holding off the Romulans for as long as we can."

"Agreed." said Chakotay.

"I third that idea." said Paris, turning his chair and joining the conference. Kim followed suit and added his support.

Janeway pondered the idea. "Any sign of the Enterprise on long range sensors?"

"Negative, Captain."

Janeway sighed. She leaned on the armrest and rested her chin on her knuckles. "Sacrificing one's self to save the many. It's a noble gesture."

"Indeed." added Tuvok, who noted significance in what she said.

"Klingons wish for this." said Chakotay with a smile, adding fuel to the fire.

"Ty'brel. Madame President?" The two Vesuvians didn't utter a word, they simply met each other's gaze and nodded their approval. She had already made up her mind, but she was curious. "Seven, how many inhabitants are on the surface?"

"Approximately four billion, Captain."

Janeway pushed the companel on her armrest and opened a ship-wide channel. "All hands, this is the bridge. Battle stations."

As the klaxon sounded, Alec put his hand on Rene's shoulder. She turned her head up at him and gripped his hand in hers. "They're in good hands. My parents won't let anything happen to them."

"If you're dad's cooking hasn't gotten to them already."

"Whatever, Mr. Chef."

Tuvok's console sounded once more. "Captain, a cloaked vessel has just appeared on sensors. Three thousand meters off the starboard bow."

Alec squeezed Rene's hand and released it before making his way up to tactical next to Tuvok. His intention was to take over should Tuvok be incapacitated. "Consider me your backup." he said, to which the Vulcan simply nodded approval.

"Mr. Tuvok," said Janeway. "Prepare a spread of photons. Dispersal pattern sierra."

"Target locked." he said over the acquisition tone.

"Get ready for a surprise, Sela." said Alec as he leaned forward.

Janeway sat poised. Her mouth opened to give the firing order but an announcement from Tuvok prevented her from doing so.

"Captain, there is a ship coming out of warp."

"The Enterprise?" asked Chakotay optimistically.

"Negative."

"More Romulans?" scoffed Janeway, dreading the worst.

"I do not believe so, the warp signature is scrambled. That is why sensors did not detect it sooner."

"Who is it then?" asked Chakotay.

Alec took a closer look at the display. The warp signature cleared just enough for him to see what ship was coming in. He couldn't believe it. "It's the Defiant!"


	22. Armageddon

Chapter 22

Armageddon

Sisko stared ominously at the small viewscreen. _"Fire!"_

Two quantum torpedoes were launched simultaneously from the Defiant's forward launchers. They sparkled through space towards their target like a pari of small stars. Two large explosions burst in mid-flight as the torpedoes detonated, seemingly hitting nothing. It was not the case. The invisible, unshielded vessel was struck with direct hits to their engine core. They were killing blows. With its cloak off-line, the ship detonated, along with the weapon. Vesuvia was safe, but they now had themselves to worry about.

"Mr. Nog," said Sisko as the ship came under fire. "Evasive pattern delta four. Colonel, target the lead Warbird's weapon systems."

"Captain," said Dax. "The Emissary's warp core is still off-line."

Sisko couldn't but be amused and flattered that Starfleet had named the ship after his religious title among the Bajoran people. "Now that the weapon ship is out of the way it won't be off-line for long. Hail them."

Their saviour appeared out of nowhere, emerging from warp and delivered the Romulans aboard the cloaked ship to whatever afterlife they believed in. A collective cheer made its way around the bridge but lasted much longer than it should have when Sela's ship opened fire on the Defiant, making them realize they weren't out of the woods yet. They were probably deeper than they were before.

"Janeway to B'Elanna, get the warp core back online as soon as possible."

"_Right away, Captain."_

"Where'd they come from?" asked Paris.

"I don't know, Tom." asked Janeway. "But we owe them a drink."

"The Defiant is hailing us, Captain." said Tuvok.

"On screen." said Janeway as she pushed herself up from her chair.

Sisko appeared on the viewscreen. He was perched in his chair, jerking from side to side with each weapon impact. It had been almost ten years since they had seen each other. The beard and shaved head suited him. "Captain Janeway, it's been awhile."

"Too long. Not that I don't mind your company, but what are you doing here?"

"A Romulan friend of Commander Wilson's sent us a transmission telling us to get here as soon as possible. Catch you at a bad time?"

"It seems that way."

"Sorry to inconvenience you. We'll try to be as quick as we can."

Janeway shifted her foot to retain her balance upon a weapons hit. "I'd appreciate that."

Sisko chuckled and the viewscreen switched off. The second Warbird was dead in their sights. A few moments later they could hear the steady rhythmic pulsing of the ship's warp core.

"Full power has been restored." said Kim.

Aside from the weapon ship being destroyed, it was the best news Janeway had heard all day. "Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Paris. Mr. Tuvok, fire at will."

Paris propelled the ship forward, taking it over the Warbird while Tuvok pelted the dorsal shields with phaser and torpedo spreads. They breathed easy for a few seconds knowing they were away from the Warbird's powerful disruptor located on its beak, but only until they entered the firing arc of the Romulan's aft torpedo launcher. The Emissary was unable to avoid the first salvos due to proximity, but they further away they got from the Warbird the more time Paris had to react and the more torpedoes he could evade.

"Bring us about for another pass." said Janeway.

Paris wished the Emissary was as maneuverable as Voyager had been, but he counted them lucky that as powerful as the D'deridex-Class Warbird was, it was as slow as a Pakled at advanced warp physics when it came to turning around. He took advantage of the Warbird's sluggishness and brought the Emissary around on the side opposite which the Romulans were turning. It would only be a matter of time before they grew wiser and used tactics of their own.

Nog's job couldn't have been easier if the order was to go to warp. The Defiant was far more maneuverable than the Warbird and her smaller size made her harder to target accurately. He veered her from port to starboard across the dorsal portion of her double hull and wished he was in Colonel Kira's seat at the tactical station.

The Defiant-Class' weapon systems were truly unique by Starfleet standards. Her main phaser array was more along the lines of disruptor cannons in terms of their firing. It was similar to the way Starfleet had modified the type III phasers during the earlier part of the decade. Located adjacent the forward section of the warp nacelles, they fired bursts of compressed phaser energy rather than a standard beam from dual emitters on the port and starboard sides. Channeling the phasers through the EPS relays effectively tripled their intensity allowing for a more powerful burst than the proposed type X arrays. A few such banks were also located around her hull.

She was also the first class of ship to be equipped with quantum torpedoes, a supplement of the photon torpedo. One of the few anti-Borg weapons to make it off the drawing board in the late 2360s, the quantum torpedo utilized small artificially created quantum filaments within its warhead. Once the matter/antimatter charge detonates on impact, the quantum filaments are dispersed, tearing at a ship's hull and sometimes penetrating the shields prior to doing so, causing damage on both counts. Thusly, the warhead yield was effectively tripled. Due to the volatile nature of the warhead and the danger in its production, they were not yet a full replacement to the photon torpedo. Ships armed with quantum torpedoes still carried larger loads of photons but often went with the former due to its more powerful yield.

Kira stuck to phasers for the time being, which were getting the job done. She had already burned several scars into the hull of Sela's Warbird. When the Defiant approached on a head on vector or when she spotted a vital area she fired torpedo spreads. After a few passes she disabled their port warp nacelle. The Romulans would have to repair it before they could leave the system.

"Good shooting, Colonel."

"Captain," said Dax at the science station. "The Warbird is veering off. They're heading towards the Emissary."

"They're ganging up on her." said Sisko in his trademark baritone.

"And we're next." said Kira.

"Mr. Nog, ahead full impulse. Get us in front of that Warbird. Colonel, I want you to throw everything we have at their forward shields."

"Sir?"

"You heard me."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged Kira. Sisko had rarely if ever made a bad battle call in the past. But battling a Romulan Warbird was a new experience for all of them he was no doubt making it up as he went.

The Defiant sped past the Warbird and positioned herself directly in the path of the great beast of a ship. She was immediately under attack. A continuous barrage of disruptor beams and plasma torpedoes put their shields to the test. The Warbird was now showing them exactly what it was capable of. Sisko pictured a Terran eagle swooping in to snatch a rodent up in its talons. The proportions were just about right too.

"Fire!" yelled Sisko over an exploding console behind him.

The Defiant launched an assault of its own. A nonstop spewing of torpedoes and phaser fire countered the Romulans' attack. It was everyone's hope that Sisko's plan would come full circle soon because they couldn't take much more. But, they had to consider, neither could the Romulans.

"Wait for it..." said Sisko, almost prophetically.

The Warbird drew closer, and its fire continued. The ship rumbled, officers were thrown from their stations, and lights flickered.

"Captain," warned Kira. "Forward shields down to 42."

"Reroute power from the aft shields and reinforce with auxiliary power." said Sisko over the ruckus.

Kira completed the transfer and the commotion lessened. She allowed herself to relax a little, even though she knew it was only a temporary reprieve. "Shields holding, but I don't know how long they can take this."

"Just a little bit more. Mr. Nog, veer port thirty meters."

The Warbird was almost on top of them, only fifteen seconds away. One need not have supersensitive ears to hear the beads of sweat sliding down their brows. Their hopes brightened when they saw what Sisko had been waiting for. The Warbird's forward shields began to fail. In a few moments they had collapsed entirely leaving her bow completely vulnerable.

Sela sat and smirked as her ship exchanged fire with the small but annoying Starfleet war vessel. The powerful little pest had placed itself directly in their path, choosing to employ a last stand. An admirable but foolish move on their captain's part. The gap between them was closing fast and very shortly they would demonstrate just how foolish it was when they demolished the Starfleet ship upon the collision. It was almost too easy to be of any enjoyment. There was no trace of worry in her, even when the shields failed.

"Goodbye, Captain Sisko."

Although she did not expect a bodyshaking jolt upon the collision, she anticipated a light rumble at the very least. But there was nothing. Disappointment befell her.

"Nog, full about, match their speed! Colonel, open fire!"

"Commander," said the science officer. "I'm not detecting any debris."

"Impossible." she scoffed. "No ship that size could survive a head on collision with us, no matter how much armour they have."

A jolt much stronger than what she anticipated shook her in her chair. She squeezed the armrest, realizing it was weapons fire. Sensors were not needed to know the damage would be extreme. "Flying between the hulls. I didn't give Captain Sisko enough credit. Full reverse on all engines."

The Defiant was in the rare position to land crushing blows were a Warbird had little or no protective armour and Sisko made sure they took advantage of the opportunity. Had the Romulans considered small ships would maneuver in that particular area on a regular basis they might have designed their ships with stronger hull plating in the appropriate areas. But as it was, the Warbird's hull was not bearing well. The bridge crew of the Defiant could see well the damage they were inflicting. Their enemy's hull was burning red in some areas, charred black in others. Whole sections were exposed to space, and there were most certainly a number of unfortunate Romulans that had been blown into space when their section had been breached.

The rear of the Warbird's massive head came rushing towards the viewscreen. Before Sisko could give the order to restore power to the aft shields they were caught unprotected in the stern by everything the Warbird had available to throw at them. Nog's maneuvers were unsuccessful in avoiding the weapons fire. It seemed to be raining torpedoes all around the ship. If he veered to either side to evade one coming up directly behind him they'd fly right into another.

"Mr. Nog, z-minus two hundred meters."

The Defiant had barely descended half the distance when the entire crew was jolted forward by what felt like a rear weapons hit. A bluish hue tinted the top edge of the viewscreen. That along with Nog's decreasing velocity readout confirmed they were being held by a tractor beam. The assault from behind continued. It was the starship equivalent of being tied to a chair and beaten.

An exploding console behind the command chair sent a man to his back beside the Sisko. He could feel the heat on the back of his neck The man's hands and face were burned. Sisko jumped out of his chair to help the poor man to his feet. "Can you walk?" The man winced and nodded. "Dax, help him get to the medical bay."

Ezri Dax placed the man's arm over her shoulders to lessen his burden and helped him out the nearest exit. Another officer quickly took her place.

"Sixty-five seconds to structural collapse." warned Kira.

"Colonel," said Sisko. "Aft torpedoes, shut down that tractor beam."

Kira fired a spread, and smacked the console immediately after ."It's no use, Captain. Graviton interference is scrambling the torpedoes' guidance systems."

Sisko leaned forward and held his face in his hands. He did not want to accept reality but it stared him in the face like his own reflection. It was hard to believe this would be the second starship named Defiant he would have to say goodbye to.

"Sisko to all hands, ab-"

The cessation of all gyrations held Sisko's tongue. Another jolt, this one different from the first, jerked the ship. The viewscreen was useless, but Sisko did not need it, he knew the tractor beam had ceased.

"Now moving at full impulse, sir." informed Nog.

"Captain," said Kira. "A photon torpedo was detonated in the tractor beam's line of fire." Her proximity sensors began to alarm. Over twenty small craft had appeared. "I'm picking up several contacts." She waited a moment for the sensors to give a more definitive reading. The result almost made her laugh. "They're escape pods."

Sisko sat back in his chair and counted his blessings. "Open a channel to the Emissary and send my thanks."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged Kira with a smile. It wasn't their first close call, and probably not the last, which was the reason that she knew all along that it had not been the end for them. A surprise did however come from her computer readout. "Captain," she said with her jaw half dropped and the lingerings of a smile. "It wasn't the Emissary. It's the Enterprise."

Sela silently cursed the Federation, and her cowardly crew. Word of the Enterprise arrival - a Sovereign-Class starship and the pride of the Federation fleet - had spread like wildfire throughout the ship and a number of officers had abandoned their posts, even the ship. She would have fired upon them if concerns didn't lie elsewhere. Only a few officers remained on the bridge, but only because she promised they'd be dead before they reached the door.

Even at full capacity, her Warbird would not have been a match for the Enterprise. She tried to ignore the dramatic irony, her position matched that of the U.S.S. Emissary.

"The Defiant isn't in the best shape." said Edwards, having completed a scan. "The ablative armour on their aft quarter is buckling and their shields are gone."

"Hail them." said Picard as he stepped closer to the viewscreen. Captain Sisko's relieved but brazen expression appeared amid flickering consoles. "Greetings, Captain."

"Your timing is perfect, sir."

"May we be of any further assistance?"

"We're fine, thank you, nothing a little repair work won't fix."

"Understood." said Picard as they were hit with weapons fire. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a Warbird to dispatch."

"Acknowledged. We'll round up the Romulans in the escape pods."

Riker raised an eyebrow. "Won't your brig get a little crowded?"

Sisko grinned widely. "They're welcome to lodge a protest, Commander." His reply was met with laughter among the Enterprise's junior officers. "Good luck to you, Captain."

Riker was gripping an armrest with one hand and the edge of his chair with the other. The gyrations caused by the Warbird's weaponry wasn't extreme but it was definitely irritating. "I don't think Sela's going to come willingly, Captain."

"Mmm, agreed. Mr. Edwards, Lieutenant McClary, I've been reviewing some of Commander Wilson's battle strategies, execute offensive tactic Warbird Delta."

McClary pivoted her chair around, a mischievous grin upon her face unlike any she had ever shown before. "I was hoping you'd say that, sir."

"Uh oh." said Riker jokingly to Picard.

"Indeed, Number One."

"Here we go." said McClary. She was finally getting the legendary excitement that came with the name Enterprise.

After sitting nose to nose for nearly a minute with the Warbird and only firing a single torpedo - that wasn't even targeted at the ship - the Enterprise sped alongside her before veering starboard and finishing a 3/4 circle and lining up with the port side of the Warbird. Edwards' targets were too small to see clearly on the viewscreen but they showed up perfectly on his targeting scanners. He wished he could see the look on Sela's face when he was done.

"Firing."

A simultaneous burst of phasers and quantum torpedoes was unleashed and the two thin lattice structures connecting the head and body of the Warbird. Seven torpedoes was all it took to destroy the lower lattice, and a ten second burst at maximum strength from the phasers severed the top portion. The beam terminated a split second before the final torpedo impacted. With no IDF to hold it in place, the explosion from the torpedo forced the now severed head away from the body. The avian predator did not seem so dangerous now. It's head drifted through space. With no lights it was a pale shadow of its former graceful self. It looked dead.

Sela had no weapons or shields, she was defenseless. And without engines she had no means of escape. Even if she attempted to do so with an escape pod there was only so far she could go without warp drive.

Sela sat alone and defeated with her disruptor in hand in the gloomy, dim illumination of the emergency lights. Her cowardly officers tried to call her bluff and ran for the doors once main power had terminated, but she demonstrated immediately that she had not been bluffing.

She looked at her weapon. Capture was not the only way out. She held the tip of her disruptor underneath her chin. It would hurt for a moment but that would be it. A split second and it would all be over. All of her failures would be remembered but she wouldn't have to live with the burden of them. Nor would she be persecuted for them.

Her firm hand began to shake and she dropped the disruptor on the deck where it landed with a clatter. She held her face in her hands and fell into her failures.

"Mr. Data," said an impressed Picard. "How many Romulans are on the Warbird's bridge?"

"One, sir. Female."

"Lieutenant Edwards, drop shields. Bridge to transporter room three, lock onto the Romulan on the Warbird's bridge and beam her to the brig."

"_Aye, sir."_ said the on duty chief. _"Transport complete."_

"Shields up. Lieutenant McClary, bring us about. The Emissary could use our help."

Seeing the Enterprise come out of warp brought those aboard the Emissary right out of the depths of despair and took them to the peak of hope. Kim had been keeping track of the Defiant's progress via sensors and informed the rest of the bridge periodically. What had begun as an optimistic encounter turned into a discouraging engagement, until the Enterprise appeared. With the assistance of the flagship the odds were now in their favour. Janeway was looking forward to fighting by Picard's side again.

The Emissary had been faring well, but the unfortunate fact of the matter was that she was simply no match for the Warbird. Her offensive capabilities, while impressive for a ship of her size, were ill equipped to fully drain the shields of the Romulan ship. Nor were her defenses able to withstand an ongoing assault.

"Shields down to 35, Captain." warned Tuvok.

"Harry," said Janeway. "What's the Enterprise's position?"

"She's fifty seconds away moving at full impulse."

"Mr. Paris, bring us about. We're going to come back in with her."

The Emissary completed a 360 degree spin and sped off in the direction of her fellow starship, all the while taking fire in her aft section. Soon they were flying side by side back in the direction of the invader. Tomalak was no doubt reconsidering his decision to remain.

"The Enterprise is hailing us." said Tuvok.

"On screen."

"Greetings, Kathryn." said Picard on the display.

"Are we glad to see you."

"Likewise. What is your status?"

"Our shields are the main concern, but with two targets for the Warbird to worry about now it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Oh, and one other thing, I think we have two people eager to beam over to your ship."

Alec came down from the tactical console and met Rene in the center of the bridge in front of Janeway. Picard's surprise could not have been more evident. Although it was clear that he did not recognize Alec at first due to his rugged appearance. "Commander Wilson?"

"Permission to return to duty for the time being, Captain."

Picard's expression went form surprise to business as usual. "Permission granted. Standby for transport, Commander."

Alec nodded before seeing his captain's image disappear. "We're going home." he said to Rene.

"And it's about time too." she replied.

"Lowering shields for transport." said Tuvok.

"Captain Janeway," said Alec, turning to face the center chair. "I'd like to thank you for the ride, and your generosity."

"Anytime, Commander." she said warmly. "You and Rene will always be welcome on this ship. We'll see you when this is over."

Alec tapped his combadge. "Wilson to Enterprise. Two to transport."

He expected them to materialize in the transporter room, but instead they appeared on the bridge, the focus of attention. Being back aboard after a week away felt more awkward than he expected. He couldn't even imagine the kind if worry they had gone through and found himself more glad than ever that Rene had come along, for there would be nothing to stop her from beating the stuffing out of him. Then there was Picard. Although Starfleet would ultimately decide his fate, it was Picard's recommendations that would play a part in it.

"Sir," he began meekly. "I-"

A plasma torpedo cut Alec off. "We can save the pleasantries for another time, Commander. We have a more pressing matter. Please take your station."

The candor of his captain was much appreciated, and he had a feeling their discussion would have been postponed regardless of the torpedo.

Troi offered her seat to Rene, which she accepted after giving the counselor a hug. Alec took over tactical from Edwards who gave him a 'welcome back' squeeze on the shoulder. Taking control of his post gave him a surprising boost of energy. A mere single touch of the panel sent a rejuvenating spark through his body.

"Shields holding." he said.

"Target weapons and shields, Commander." said Picard. "Fire."

Alec improvised. He fired a sweeping phaser arc across the Warbird's forward shields with a spread of quantum torpedoes to compliment it. He read a fluctuation in power as a result.

"Their forward shields are damaged, Captain."

"Continue firing. Maybe Tomalak will be willing to talk if his shields fail."

"Aye, Captain." He fired another volley, weakening the Warbird's shields even further. He could tell by the sensors that the Emissary was making strafing attacks. Most likely to avoid taking any extreme damage to her shields. Their combined efforts were having the desired effect.

Alec took his eyes off the tactical sensors for a moment to look at Rene. She looked as beautiful as ever. She noticed his stare and smiled at him before motioning to the viewscreen with her head.

When he looked back at his display he discovered the Warbird and the Emissary weren't the only ships on the sensors. There were multiple small craft that appeared in the vicinity.

"Captain, I'm reading thirty small craft near the Warbird."

"More escape pods?" asked Riker.

"Power signatures are too high to be escape pods." He had little doubt as to what they could be. The number of craft and their power signatures could mean only one things. "They're shuttles, sir. I saw ones just like them when I was on Sela's Warbird."

"You were on Sela's Warbird?" Riker turned to face him with a surprised expression.

"Long story."

"I look forward to hearing it, Commander. Put one on screen."

A small, sleek craft appeared, it was maneuvering among others of its type. They were not unlike their Class 9 shuttles, but they were smaller, and meaner looking.

Alec was now able to get a better look. It had two curved wings that protruded from the sides that probably doubled as nacelles as well as for intimidation. The wings looked capable of tearing tritanium.

"Captain," said Data. "The power signatures of those shuttlepods are unusually high for craft of their size."

"They've got warp cores." said Alec, examining his tactical analysis.

The nearest shuttlepod opened fire with its disruptors. It was a bigger rumble than anyone expected.

"They've got bite too." noted Riker.

"Shields holding. That little ship has the firepower of a Danube-Class runabout. That's not much to us comparatively, but multiply it by thirty and..."

"Point taken, Commander."

The shuttlepods began to coordinate their efforts, taking passing shots at the Enterprise and the Emissary. The battle was like a balancing scale. Each time one side held the edge, more weight was added to the other side.

"Pick your targets, Commander."

"Aye, sir." said Alec slyly. "Request helm discretion."

"Do what you must."

"Justine, are you ready for some of those Red Squad maneuvers you've been eager to try?"

"More than ready, sir."

Riker eyed the viewscreen. Ten shuttlepods had taken position in front of the ship. "They're swarming us."

"It's perfect." said Alec. "Justine, you familiar with 'The Raging Bull?'"

McClary was momentarily caught off guard with Alec's knowledge of Red Squad maneuvers. "Very." It was one of her favourites and was only useful with larger ships such as the Enterprise.

"Ahead 1/2 impulse, Lieutenant."

Almost giddily, McClary turned back to the helm. After today she would never complain about being bored again.

The Enterprise leapt forward towards the unsuspecting shuttlepods. There was a jolt as the ships saucer plowed through the stationary craft. The more powerful shields of the Enterprise overloaded those on the small Romulan vessels. Three in the center were demolished instantly while two more each lost a wing and were thrown aimlessly into space. The rest reacted in time to avoid any damage.

Five were out of the way, but there were still twenty five to go. After that there was still the Warbird to take care of.

Alec proceeded using the multi-vector targeting system. It allowed him to target and fire on multiple bogies at once. Three phaser beams shot out from the port ventral bank and two more from the starboard bank. Four shuttlepods went out in explosive plumes, the fifth managed to evade the beam, but a photon torpedo to its aft section sent it flying into another passing shuttlepod. Both were destroyed.

"Hard to port." said Janeway.

The Emissary moved away from a potential assault from a group of three shuttlepods. A torpedo spread from the aft bay dispersed them in a display of wild maneuvers.

"Like swatting mosquitoes." said Paris.

"But more annoying." added Kim.

"Shields at 20."

"This isn't working." said Chakotay. "We'll be crippled before this is done."

"Agreed." said Janeway. "We need a new strategy." She thought for a moment before hitting gold. "Mr. Tuvok, how many torpedoes do we have left?"

"One hundred and fifteen."

"Arm them all and transfer them to the weapons pod." she said. "Prepare to detach."

Chakotay smiled at her reckless, and there not unexpected plan. He understood right away. "Our phasers won't be enough to penetrate the shielding of the pod."

Janeway nodded. "I'm aware of that. But a spread of quantum torpedoes from the Enterprise is."

While Tuvok was dealing with the shuttlepods, Kim had been keeping track of the Warbird. Until then it had been stationary, watching the carnage. It began to move off. "Captain, the Warbird is veering away. It's headed for the wreckage of the other one. They'll reach its position in two minutes."

"Why?" asked Paris as he took the ship into a dive to get under oncoming fire. "There can't be anything of value to two floating pieces of debris."

"Except the computer records of what they've been doing." said Chakotay. "They're going to destroy them."

"And any guarantee of developing a defense to their dilithium weapon." added Janeway. "Once they warp out it will be too late."

"Torpedo transfer complete." said Tuvok as the ship rumbled. "Shields at 14"

"Transmit the details to the Enterprise." said Janeway. "We need the majority of them to group together."

"Sending data." Tuvok received a reply shortly. "Commander Wilson has replied 'let's do it.'"

"Tom, plot a return to this position from two thousand meters to port."

"Plotted." said Paris.

"Engage."

Alec prepared a spread of quantum torpedoes. _Brilliant._ What Captain Janeway had set in motion was a last ditch effort plan developed by Nebula-Class captains, but until now none of them had the gaul to attempt it. If it was pulled off correctly it would eliminate the majority of the shuttlepods if not all of them. Any that remained would be easily picked off as they would no longer have strength in numbers in their favour. Survivors of the explosion would either be incredibly lucky or incredible pilots.

"Are your calculations complete, Mr. Data?" asked Picard.

"Yes, sir. We must reach a distance of one million kilometers before we can detonate the weapons pod."

"Lieutenant McClary, are we in position?"

"Aye, sir. Engines are set to engage at 1/4 impulse when the Emissary is within three hundred kilometers."

"Captain," said Alec. "The Emissary is beginning her run."

"Bridge to all decks," began Riker. "Standby."

Having been a starship captain for almost 50 years, Picard was used to trying new things. He'd even created a few maneuvers in his career with one even being named after him, the Picard Maneuver, which became required study at the Academy. But no matter what the probability of success wound up being, he still considered contingency scenarios in his head in the event of failure. The well being of ship and crew were always a top priority.

"Impulse engines engaging."

It took all of Alec's willpower not to open fire. If he did they might scatter, and their surprise would be less effective if the pods were further apart. "They are in pursuit."

"Here comes one hell of a bang." said Paris. "Like killing a swarm of mosquitoes with a phaser."

"Think they'll see it from Earth?" asked Kim.

"Doubtful." added Seven, ruining their fun.

"Ten seconds." said Tuvok, counting down to the detaching of the pod. At the behest of Captain Janeway, he took the weapons off-line and transferred power to the shields along with any currently unnecessary systems. Systems such as life support to evacuated decks, holodecks, turbolifts, and many more. Wherever there was available power it was rerouted to the shields until he was certain they would hold. "Detaching pod."

"How close are we going to get to them again? asked Riker with just a touch of apprehension.

"Approximately twenty meters, sir." replied Data.

"Child's play." said McClary, whose voice was full of confidence. It came from her Academy training with thanks in no small part to her Red Squad experience. She had flown ships closer together than that before, much to the chagrin of her flight instructor, and fellow pilots. A few times she had to touch up some paint, but it was a small price to pay for the thrill.

"Won't we risk skimming their shields?"

"We would need to be ten meters closer for any kind of shield contact, Commander." replied the android.

"Mr. Data," began Riker dryly. "You're a ball of confidence."

"Thank you, Commander."

Their fellow ship was coming up fast with her Romulan friends all around her. Alec was grateful when the Emissary finally jettisoned its weapons pod. He could finally shoot something. "Weapons pod has been detached." said Alec as he put it on the viewscreen."

The two ships were flying head on at each other. The bridge went completely silent as the display angle of the viewscreen began to rotate clockwise in preparation for the flyby. The Emissary was rotating as well, counterclockwise from their perspective. She looked odd without the trapezoidal weapons pod atop the drive section. It was almost possible to hear eyes close when she filled the viewscreen.

Even the Romulan pilots had been impressed at the sight of the two great ships flying in such close proximity of each other. Unfortunately for them, they were so enthralled with the theatrics that they weren't paying attention to anything else. Several shuttles collided with each other as they approached with their respective targets. Others scrambled and tried to regain some sense of direction and bearing in the mix-up and ended up colliding with another shuttle in the process. The rest were left watching this spiraling object that the smaller Starfleet ship left behind. It had an unusually high matter/antimatter signature.

By the time shuttle pilots recognized the sparkling objects as torpedoes it was too late. Their ships were incinerated in an apocalyptic fireball whose destructive power had been hindered by the vacuum of space. If such an explosion had taken place in the atmosphere of a Class M world it would have spread across the entire surface of the planet, destroying every living thing, evaporating every body of water, and turning the entire surface itself into a planetwide ocean of molten rock. Even though it was a spaceborn explosion it was still massive. The fireball spread out for many millions of kilometers and might have been mistaken for a supernova by a passing ship. The pilots were fortunate in the sense that they did not suffer in the nanoseconds following the detonation.

The Enterprise rumbled as the explosion rode its coattails but there was little if any damage.

"Did any of the shuttle pods survive the explosion?" asked Picard.

"Four managed to reach a safe distance, Captain." answered Data.

"They're all losing power, sir." added Alec,

"Bridge to transporter room three. Beam the Romulan survivors to the brig."

"At least Sela will have some company." mused Riker.

"Lieutenant McClary, intercept course on Tomalak's Warbird, full impulse power. It's time to finish this.

"Captain," said Alec, looking at his communications readout. "The Emissary is hailing us."

"On screen." Picard stood and straightened his uniform as the bridge of his counterpart appeared on the viewscreen.

"May we join you?" asked Janeway.

"The more the merrier, Kathryn."

"Much obliged, Jean-Luc."

Both captains knew that in her present state the Emissary wasn't much of a threat and would be vulnerable should Tomalak choose to attack. However, the general consensus was that Tomalak would think twice about attacking her with the Enterprise flying escort.

"The Warbird is slowing down, sir." said Alec. "At a dead stop now."

"Maybe Tomalak's finally learned something." said Riker, but he had his doubts.

"Maybe not, Will." said Alec, looking at the viewscreen.

They all saw it. The Warbird was coming about to face them, preparing for a final stand. Nobody wanted a fight. There had been enough bloodshed to last a long time.

"Full stop, Lieutenant." said Picard.

"Their weapons are fully charged, sir." said Alec. "The Defiant's coming in."

The Defiant may have paled in size to the three ships already present in the face-off but there was nothing small about her intimidation factor. The three Starfleet ships aligned themselves in a triangular pattern around the Warbird. It was their hope that it would show Tomalak there was no escape. Battle was the last thing they wanted but they also wanted it clear to the Romulan commander that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Damn." muttered Picard.

"What's wrong, sir?" asked Troi.

"I can't help but recall what happened to the Ancient Mariner when he killed the albatross."

"Pardon me, sir." said Riker. "But what's out there isn't exactly a bird of good omen."

"And we're not going to hang it from around your neck, Captain." added Alec. "But I do think the fog is going to clear."

"Spoken like a poet." said Picard with a smirk. "Hail the Warbird. Maybe Tomalak will be willing to talk."

They received no response at first, but Picard had Alec continue hailing. His conviction paid off when they received a reply.

Picard felt the metaphorical weight on his shoulders. The next minute would be crucial. "On screen." he said with the poker face he had perfected in his youth.

Tomalak's arrogant and superior, but defeated face was in full view. Romulans may have been masters of deception but there was no hiding what it was clear he knew: No matter what happened next, he had already lost. It was up to him how much he lost.

"You wish to speak, Picard." said Tomalak. There was nothing but contempt in his voice.

"We find ourselves in a situation, Tomalak."

Troi grew worried. While Tomalak's face conveyed defeat, he was feeling something completely different. She sensed a ruse. "Be careful, Captain." she whispered.

"Clearly we are at your mercy." said Tomalak. "Destroy us if you will."

Picard shook his head in almost disgust. "There has been enough death today. You yourself have the power to end this."

"How?" asked Tomalak, raising an eyebrow in an almost Vulcan-like fashion.

"You must surrender yourselves and your ship."

"And if we don't."

"I'd rather not give the order to fire."

Tomalak almost scoffed. It seemed like a joke to him. "No Romulan has surrendered himself or his ship since before the Treaty of Algeron."

Troi could feel Tomalak's resolve getting stronger by the second. Whatever he was planning was going to happen soon.

"Tomalak, I can assure you that whatever happens to you in a Starfleet prison will be far more pleasant that whatever your government has in store for you when you return to Romulus with yet _another_ failure to report."

"You make an interesting point, Picard." said Tomalak genuinely. "However, if you would permit me to make my own."

Sisko had been sitting patiently awaiting the result of the exchange between Captain Picard and Tomalak. The battle had been over for a few minutes and things were settling down on the bridge. Dax had since returned to her station and was just getting into the ensuing conversation when they were reminded the hard way why it was never a good idea to let their guard down in a situation with the Romulans.

Bulkheads throughout the ship shared a mighty creak as the ship began to rumble. Dax was thankful she had taken her seat when she did, otherwise she could have been thrown across the room. The lighting flickered as did the consoles. They were not being hit by weapons fire. It was something else.

"Report!" shouted Sisko.

"Hull stress is increasing!" exclaimed Kira.

"Helm controls are useless." added a frustrated Nog.

"We're in some sort of intensified tractor beam!" Dax shouted. "The gravitic force is equal to the atmospheric pressure of a gas giant. If it's not shut off it will start compressing the hull."

Sisko was beginning to _really_ hate tractor beams.

"Captain!" exclaimed Alec. "The Defiant is being held in a tractor bream. "It's crushing their hull."

"As you can see, Captain." said Tomalak as he locked his fingers together. "I am now in control."

"Release the Defiant, Tomalak!"

"I would be more than happy to, Captain. And I will as soon as _you_ agree to _our_ terms. If you _don't,_ you can stand there and watch your friends die."

"The Defiant is carrying survivors from your fellow Warbird. You would be murdering your own people."

"They are cowards who chose to flee at the sign of danger. They deserve worse than death."

Picard exhaled deeply as he found himself suddenly unprepared. "Name your terms." he said in attempt to stall.

Tomalak laughed lightly. "You will release Commander Sela to us. Then you will surrender yourselves and your ship to us. I'll give you one minute to consider."

Picard turned to Alec and ran a finger across his throat, indicating he wanted the channel momentarily closed. "Muted." said Alec.

"Alec," said Riker, turning to face him as well. "Can you terminate that beam?"

"I wish I could. But I've scanned the tractor beam and it's not even at full power. As soon as we got a shot off there's no doubt that he'd increase power to it. The Defiant could be destroyed instantly."

"Could the Defiant's ablative armour protect them?" asked Picard.

Alec shook his head. "Ablative armour dissipates under weapons fire. Tractor beams are a completely different principle."

Picard gripped his chin in thought. "Suggestions?"

"We can't let the Defiant be destroyed." said Riker.

"Can we weigh the lives of forty people against the countless billions? If we turn over Sela and the computer records to Tomalak we might not be able to create a defense against any further weapon ships they build. And giving them the Enterprise is an unacceptable option."

"Captain," began Riker. He respected his captain more than any man he had ever met, but they did not always agree. "I draw the line at giving them the Enterprise, but we have no guarantee that even with those records we _could_ create a defense. Not to mention this is Tomalak, he's never exactly been trustworthy. He's likely to destroy the Defiant anyway."

"Sirs." said Alec, whose brain had been working overtime the past thirty seconds. "I think I know how we can give them Sela without actually giving her to them."

The confused glances directed his way faded as he quickly outlined his plan. There was a certain amount of skepticism but his plan was accepted when they all agreed it was the most viable option.

"Reopen channel." said Picard.

"Well, Picard." said the smug Romulan. "Have you reached your decision?"

"You give me little choice, Tomalak. We will return Sela to you."

"Very wise, Captain."

"However, I must inform you that she is no longer on board. We had her beamed aboard the Emissary. We will contact them and inform them of the situation."

"Make it quick."

"Tomalak, I request that you decrease power to your tractor beam as a show of good faith."

Tomalak thought momentarily. He did not seem too eager to weaken the hand he was holding. "Very well, but if I even suspect deception, that ship will be able to fit in the palm of your hand."

Picard returned to his chair as the channel closed. "I think it's safe to assume that Tomalak will be monitoring communications."

"I would say so, sir." agreed Riker.

It was time for a performance. Picard just wished it was Shakespeare. "Open hailing frequencies."

Janeway had every intention of using her influence in getting extended leave for her crew when they made it back to spacedock. They had availed themselves admirable and all deserved it. Once again. those that had served under her for so many years did not let her down in the slightest.

"The Enterprise is hailing us." said Tuvok.

"On screen."

Picard's expression was that of a man in dire times. They had detected the tractor beam as well and were fully aware of what would happen of Tomalak increased power to it.

"Captain Janeway," began Picard. "I trust you are aware of the Defiant's situation."

"Yes, we are. What is it we can do?"

"Tomalak informs me that he will destroy the Defiant if Sela is not turned over to him. We need you to send her over to his ship in a shuttlecraft."

Janeway exchanged confused glances with Chakotay. "But, Captain, we-"

"I understand your apprehension, Kathryn." interrupted Picard. "But we cannot sacrifice the lives of our fellow officers, no matter what the cost."

She had no doubt he was putting on a show for the sake of an eavesdropping Romulan and that he was trying to convey a message, but it was unclear to her at the moment. She feigned acceptance and hoped his message would be clear soon. "Agreed."

"Give my regards to Lieutenant Alighieri."

The light went on in Janeway's head as Picard revealed to her everything she needed to know. "I'll make sure he gets your message." she said with a nod and a smile. "Interesting move." said Chakotay, who was the only other member of the bridge crew who picked up the hidden meaning in Picards' message.

"To say the least." noted Janeway who then turned to the changeling. "I'm terribly sorry, Dante, but I'm afraid I have to ask a favour of you." Janeway had a harder time getting it out than she thought she would. It was never easy asking a person to risk their life. "I need you to assume Sela's form and fly a shuttle to Tomalak's ship."

Dante displayed a fear they wouldn't have expected from a changeling. "How can you be so sure that was what he wanted?"

Dante's Inferno was one of Janeway's favourite works of ancient literature. Her former fiancé, Mark, gave her a copy many years ago when they were still together. The only person she had ever lent it to was her first officer. "Your namesake was an ancient poet from Earth, and last name was Alighieri. Tomalak wouldn't be aware of this anymore than he would be that Commander Wilson bestowed the name upon you."

Chakotay took note of Dante's reluctance. It seemed genuine, and it was understandable. "Obviously, we can't force you to do this. But we could really use your help."

"I promise that if anything happens we will do whatever is within our power to get you back." added Janeway. She hoped Dante couldn't pick up the hollowness she heard in her own words.

"All I've ever wanted since finding out what I am is to go home." said Dante. "And Alec promised to take me there. Humans have been people of your word ever since I have encountered you. If you say you'll help me I believe you. I will help."

Janeway realized that she could be making a grave error in allowing Dante to return to the Romulans. There was a chance he would choose to betray them, but after what Alec had told of their first encounter with him, her gut told her he could be trusted. It was highly unlikely, almost inconceivable that he was a mole for Sela and Tomalak. There was not much for them to gain by subterfuge when they already had the upper hand at the time.

"How are your piloting skills?" she asked.

"I observed Alec at the controls of his shuttles. I should be able to handle a simple flight."

"Do you think she got the message?" asked Riker.

"I'm sure of it, Number One." Picard had seen the change of expression on her face before the viewscreen switched off. She did not have a look of confusion as she did seconds before, but one of understanding. "Commander Wilson, you're positive Dante will assist you?"

"He wants to go home, sir." replied Alec. "And he knows the Romulans have to be stopped. Captain, the Emissary has launched a shuttle. I'm reading one life sign. It's Romulan.

"Patience."

Dante was trying his best to fight his anxiety. Several times he caught a glance at his reflection in the control panel. It was not pleasant taking the form of a woman who was probably the most vicious and ruthless person he would ever come across.

Endless curiosities occupied his imagination. He wondered what would await him on his homeworld. Would it be as beautiful as Romulus? Would there be a hierarchical system? What was the population of his world? Would they accept him? Did he have family? Knowing that he was finally going to get the answers to his questions tested his patience.

Flying around the massive starship was the first time he had ever seen it up close. He was in awe of its magnificence. It was hard to believe that something so beautiful could be so destructive. Its sheer size alone was wondrous. He had flown past the ship called Enterprise, which in itself was no small ship, and the Romulan ship was almost twice as large.

He had been given specific instructions to follow before he left. He was to leave the launch bay and head directly for tractor beam control. Once it was off-line he was to sabotage it and then take control of the bridge.

Dante came astern of the great Warbird to two gigantic launch bay doors. The starboard door began to raise and he piloted into position for entry. Once the door was open enough he slowly flew the ship into the empty bay doors and landed softly onto the deck, shutting off the engines and powering down the shuttle. He almost made a mistake and lowered the door to exit but he stopped himself when he remembered it was still a vacuum in the launch bay. He might not need oxygen but Sela did. It was necessary to avoid doing anything that would ruin his cover. Once an indicator on the wall of the bay registered there was pressure outside he lowered the door.

Dante stepped down the ramp onto the deck of the launch bay. Now that it was completely empty, the bay looked even larger than before.

The airtight door that led into the corridor opened and in walked a single armed guard who proceeded to come across and meet Dante halfway. "Commander Sela," said the rigid standing guard. "Commander Tomalak wishes me to take you to the bridge."

"Lead the way." said Dante in the assumed voice of his form.

As soon as the guard turned his back to Dante, he changed his right hand into a blunt, spherical form and struck the Romulan in the back of the head and caught him before he fell. The force with which he hit was not enough to cause permanent harm, just render the man unconscious. Dante carried him back to the shuttle and closed the door after placing him inside.

After exiting the launch bay, he found the nearest vent and reverted to his liquid state. He seeped through the grate into the vent and coursed through the veins of the ship much faster than any humanoid could ever go on foot. The possibility of getting lost was extremely remote. He had spent much of his time in the past learning the layout of the ship in the same manner. Although he had done so on Sela's ship and not Tomalak's he was gambling that they shared similar layouts.

Dante made it to tractor beam control in roughly thirty seconds. Ten seconds faster than it had taken him before. Purpose truly gave someone motivation. In his current form he had no eyes and therefore couldn't see them in a traditional sense, but he did have a certain perception that allowed him to sense their presence. It was what humanoids called instinct. Four Romulans were in the room. He would have to incapacitate them quickly and before any of them could raise an alarm. A disruptor was out of the question. The security grid would detect the discharge. The air duct and his inability to 'see' gave him an idea.

He seeped out of the vent in a gaseous state and expanded rapidly, filling the entire room. He made sure he maintained the colour and density needed to effectively blind the Romulans. The ploy worked. Shouts of confusion filled the room as they walked around aimlessly in an attempt to gain their bearing. Two tripped over their own feet and one banged his knee on a chain. The fourth was the wisest, he remained still. Dante incapacitated them all simultaneously by increasing the pressure around their necks thereby reducing their oxygen intake. They were all unconscious shortly.

Dante reconstituted himself in the form of Sela and moved to the main control panel to access the tractor beam emitter. He set the emitter to deactivate and overload. Once the beam was off-line he proceeded to lock out every other emitter so Tomalak could not reinitiate simply by repositioning his ship. Satisfied with his first act of sabotage he proceeded to the next and smashed every console in the room. He didn't want anyone undoing his work after he left. Dante was in his liquid state and back into the vent in an instant. His next destination: The bridge.

Tomalak could almost laugh. After so many encounters and so many failures, he was finally going to get the best of Picard. He wasn't just getting Picard, he was getting the flagship of the Federation. The secrets she held would make the specialists back on Romulus extremely happy. Once she had been stripped down he intended to do with her what he intended for her predecessor: Put her broken hull on display in the Romulan capital. It was the best day for the Romulan Empire in a long time. He might just kill Picard the moment he came on board.

"Commander, sir." said a worried tactical officer. "We're lost the tractor beam."

"Explain!" said an irked Tomalak. He should have known something would go wrong. Something usually did when Picard was around.

"The emitter has overloaded. The problem cannot be corrected from here. I've been attempting to contact tractor beam control but nobody is responding."

"Get down there now! I want that beam reestablished immediately! And find out where Sela is. She should have been here by now."

"Aye, sir."

The tactical officer saluted and turned for the door. He stopped himself when he heard a strange noise near the floor. He knelt down towards a vent on the wall and jumped back in surprise when a brown liquid began to flow out. He had never seen it before but he knew it to be Sela and Tomalak's changeling. The brown liquid began to grow taller and a large mass emerged from its midregion. It struck him square in the chest and threw him backwards. He hit his head on a console and fell into unconsciousness.

Tomalak heard the commotion and turned in time to see a brown mass incapacitate his tactical officer. Their missing changeling had reappeared and had turned on them. "Stop him!"

His order was not fast enough. The changeling extended three long tentacles from its form which proceeded to wrap around the remaining officers. They were flung up and down, from side to side, from wall to floor until they were out cold.

Tomalak had finally figured out where the changeling had gone when they were unable to locate it. It had gone with the prisoners when they escaped. He just couldn't fathom why.

Dante noticed Tomalak's hand going for an armrest panel and wrapped a tentacle around the Romulan's arm, restraining it to the chair. He did the same with his other hand and followed up by wrapping a third tentacle around Tomalak's torso. He walked closer and assumed the Romulan form he had used for two years.

"What are you doing?" said Tomalak. It was frustrating not being able to move. "After all we did for you."

"You used me to help you kill. In spite of your efforts to make me more like you, I have a sense of morality."

"What can those humans do for you? We've helped you. We rescued you from that planet, we told you what you are, where you came from, gave you an identity."

"Your arrival at that planet was mere coincidence. And once you knew what I was all you saw was a chance to exploit me. Commander Wilson promised to take me home to my people. He mentioned it in the holding cell before I even met him, when he couldn't have possibly known I was listening. That is something that you never offered me, not once."

Tomalak was trapped. All he could do was grasp for strings. "When my crew wakes up the first place they'll look is here. They'll kill you on my order."

"I'm not so sure about that." said Dante. In an instant he took Tomalak's form and mimicked his voice perfectly. "Not if there's only one of us here when they arrive."

"You can't kill me." said Tomalak.

Another tentacle extended from Dante's form and took hold of Tomalak's disruptor. He pulled it from the holster and aimed it at Tomalak's chest. "You taught me too well. You taught me to think like a Romulan." Dante saw the fear in Tomalak's eyes. The Romulan wasn't about to call his bluff. "I'm in control here, wouldn't you say?"

Tomalak lowered his gaze. "The bridge is yours."

Even though it was he who had mentioned patience, Picard disliked waiting in situations like the one they were in. Their anticipation heightened when the Romulan tractor beam went off-line and the Defiant veered off to a safe location. Dante was at least successful in the first part of his task.

"Can't help but wonder what's going on over there." commented Riker.

Edwards spoke up. "Do you think Tomalak could have managed to talk Dante into-"

"No." said Alec. He knew what Edwards was getting at and didn't want to hear it. His communications console began to sound and his stomach clenched as a result. In moments they would find out if Dante was able to complete his mission. "We're being hailed by the Warbird."

Picard was met with hesitation, but he overcame it. "On screen."

He despaired at the sight of two Romulans on the viewscreen. Tomalak was seated in his chair and another was standing next to him. The despair in his heart disappeared and relief took its place. He was looking at the faces of not one but two Tomalaks. The seated one was being restrained by what looked like tentacles that emanated from his counterpart. And he did not look the least bit impressed.

"Greetings, Captain." said the standing Tomalak. A smile spread across his face. "I believe Commander Tomalak would like to surrender now."


	23. Rekindling

Chapter 23

Rekindling

When Tomalak came aboard the Enterprise in shackles he had an audience of four watching while Alec escorted him to the brig. Rene, Ty'brel, Sha'Gra, and Dante, none wanted to miss the opportunity to see the one who held them captive learn what it felt like. Picard had a very strong urge to do so as well but his inner captain overruled his inner child. Taking part in such a thing was not the best way to set an example for the crew. Although he did tell Alec to convey his personal regards to Sela and Tomalak.

Once the overcrowded brig of the Defiant had been emptied and the prisoners transferred to the Enterprise, Picard opened a subspace channel to Admiral Nechayev and gave her a partial update. He told her only of the defeat of Tomalak and Sela but with a promise to include everything else in his formal report.

"I'm sending a towing vessel with the U.S.S. Thunderchild as an escort." said Nechayev over the comline. With her full blond hair and fresh looking face, she looked far younger than her sixty years.

"And the data within should provide us with a way to create a defense against their dilithium weapon."

Nechayev nodded in agreement. "There two Warbirds represent the greatest technological find since Captain Sisko and his crew recovered the Jem'Hadar Attack Ship."

Picard's mind dwelled on something and he could not rid it from his thoughts. "Admiral, what is to become of Commander Wilson?"

Whether she was pleased or angry, Admiral Nechayev always had a stone-faced expression that she had no doubt spent countless hours practicing before a mirror. It was the perfect poker face, which made it impossible to determine her attitude. "I was hoping to wait until after the Vesuvian festivities to inform you, Jean-Luc. When the Enterprise has returned to Earth, Commander Wilson will be subject to a formal hearing, and pending the results of that hearing possibly a court martial."

Frustrated, Picard shifted in his chair. "With all due respect, Admiral, Commander Wilson was _the_ key figure in uncovering the conspiracy _and_ saving the Federation; possibly the Alpha Quadrant."

For the first time in their current conversation, Nechayev displayed a revealing expression. She seemed to show regret. "This must be done, Jean-Luc. Ninety-five years ago, Admiral James T. Kirk and his crew disobeyed a superior officer, sabotaged the U.S.S. Excelsior, stole the U.S.S. Enterprise, and destroyed her. Months later they returned to Earth to find a prove in orbit of Earth, threatening to destroy it. Subsequent events allowed them to save the planet, but they were still required to stand before a court for the crimes they had committed."

It was a similar match to Alec's situation. He had been relieved of duty, he had struck a fellow officer, sabotaged the ship, caused a potentially dangerous fire, stolen a shuttlecraft, and subsequently destroyed it. Although a shuttle was easily replaceable commodity, it had still been willfully destroyed Federation property.

Picard knew the story of Kirk stealing the Enterprise. He also knew the second part. During the hearing they faced, all charges were dropped except one. Kirk was charged with disobeying a superior officer and reduced in rank to captain. It was a reward moreso than a punishment. Picard only hoped that Alec was so lucky whatever ruling came his way.

"I formally request to perform as Commander Wilson's defensive council."

Nechayev smiled warmly. The sincerity in it was unmistakable. "I had a feeling you would. Permission granted, Captain. I would suggest having Presidents Ty'brel and Sha'Gra speak in his defense as well."

The testimonies of two such influential people in the Vesuvian government would do wonders in having Alec's hearing dismissed. "I have a feeling they would have insisted without my interference, Admiral."

"I wouldn't worry about this hearing too much, Jean-Luc."

"I hadn't planned on it."

"Good." she smiled once more. "See you back at Earth."

Picard sat back in his chair and sighed as Nechayev's image disappeared on his terminal and was replaced with the shield of the United Federation of Planets. He had no doubt that Admiral Nechayev would assist in Alec's case. And having President Ross on board the Enterprise didn't hurt.

"Picard to Commander Wilson, please report to my ready room."

"You're starting to look like Unca Will, Daddy." said little James on the wall screen.

Alec laughed and rubbed his hand over his week old bear. He kind of liked it. And he suspected Rene did too.

He and Rene almost burst into tears when they saw their excited children via subspace channel they knew Sonia and James were okay, but they wouldn't have been able to go another second without talking to them. A week was long enough.

"James," said Alec. "What was it that Thumper's mother told him?"

"Ummm." said the young boy. "'If you can't say nothing nice, don't say nothin' at all.'"

"Good man."

"Alec." said a smirking Rene.

"What?" Alec smiled back. He couldn't resist taking a shot at his friend and commanding officer.

Sonia appeared and pushed James away. Alec and Rene could hear the young boy grunt off screen as he hit the floor. "Mommy, Daddy, when are you coming to get us?"

The two parents shared a collective relief that their daughter had not used the word 'home.' "In a few days, Sonia."

"But that's what you said before." said Sonia with a pout. It was a perfect duplication of the one Rene used on Alec. Their daughter was learning.

"Some bad men wouldn't let us come, Sonia." said Alec. "But they won't come this time."

"Did you beat 'em up, Daddy?" said James excitedly off screen.

"Shhh. Quiet!" said Sonia.

"Yes, James." chuckled Alec. He had almost forgotten how much joy being a father brought him. He could feel the tears welling behind his eyes. "Daddy beat them up."

"Ahem." said Rene, jabbing Alec in the ribs. She was no doubt referring to the 'clawing' she gave Tasmith's face. "You weren't the only one, Mister."

Sonia's mouth practically hung open. "You beat somebody up, Mommy?"

Alec let Rene have her moment. "She sure did."

"Whoa, cool!" James popped back into view, almost knocking over Sonia. The two children got involved in a pushing match. An unintelligible voice off screen made them stop. "Yes, Gramma." said James. "Gramma says no dessert if we keep fighting. Dinner's ready."

"You two should go wash up then." said Alec. He didn't want to cry but he didn't want to cry either. "We'll be home before you can say 'Enterprise.'"

"Okay." said James with a little pout of his own as he put his hand on the screen. "I love you, Mommy. Love you, Daddy." said the twins in unison.

Alec and Rene both put their hands on the screen. "We love you too." they said almost in unison. Maybe it was something only twins could do.

"Go on." said the familiar, cheery voice of Rene's mother. "Wash up before it gets cold. Grandpa and I need to talk to Mom and Dad."

"Okay, Gramma." said the kids as they went off screen.

Kate stood in front of the screen and was immediately taken aback at Alec's appearance. "Oh my goodness, Alec. I almost didn't recognize you. It suits you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mi- I mean, Kate." He managed to stop himself before she frowned at him. "I'm thinking about keeping it but a certain first officer might think I was trying to copy him."

"Let him." said Rene as she stroked the right side of his face.

"Before we have dinner," said Kate. "Steven wanted to say something."

Rene's father stood next to his wife. He looked almost sheepish. "Glad to see you're both alright."

"Thank you, sir."

Steven cleared his throat before speaking again. He was clearly uncomfortable. "Before you left, I said some things that were uncalled for. When word got around that you had assassinated President Sha'Gra and had gone off with my daughter or some vendetta I felt justified in what I had said. I thought 'there he goes, proving me right.' But then, we all found out what was truly going on. And that you, my boy, had saved all our butts. I had never felt so ashamed. I just wanted you to know, that I'm sorry, and proud to have you as my son."

It was now Alec that was taken aback. "I don't know what to say, sir. Thank you."

Steven nodded. "No, thank you."

"We'll see you soon, Daddy." said Rene, who was more surprised than Alec to hear two words in particular come out of her father's mouth. It could not have been easy for him to do that.

"See you soon, Rene. I'm going to relax after dinner with a cup of coffee."

"Crisis is over, Steven." said Kate. "It's back to tea for you."

"Awww, Kate."

Alec and Rene were laughing as the comchannel closed. They hoped to have a relationship as strong as her parents' when they got to be that age. They had many years to go and were more than willing to give it a try. But Alec knew one thing: He wasn't going to give up coffee.

"How long is this hearing going to take when we get back?" asked Rene as she stepped away from the screen and took a seat on the sofa.

"I'm not sure." said Alec as he took a seat next to her. "But I wouldn't worry about it. Captain Picard said it's just a formality."

Rene blinked several times before sitting up. "This past week you've worried about getting court martialed. Now you say you're not?"

Alec smirked and shook his head. His meeting with Captain Picard told me that if they dismiss me from the service he'll tender his resignation."

She sat fully upright with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," said Alec, whose smirk had turned into a victorious grin. "And so is he. He plans to let them know that too."

"What if they still dismiss you?"

"They wouldn't." he shook his head. "They wouldn't risk losing the greatest starship captain of the past century. Not considering all he can do the day he accepts admiralcy."

"Are you going for brownie points?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just telling it like it is." said Alec. "Princess."

"I _knew_ it!"

The U.S.S. Thunderchild came and went. The towing vessels successfully secured the Warbirds in their tractor beams and made the jump to warp. There was some hull degradation in the hull of Sela's ship, but power units were beamed over and secured to increase power to the structural integrity field. The captain of the Thunderchild was also kind enough to take on the Romulan prisoners that were growing increasingly impatient in the brigs of the Enterprise. Picard was relieved to finally have them off the ship.

The mighty, groundshaking roar of the Vesuvian crowd filled the main hall of the Presidential Forum as Sha'Gra stepped into view from the lounge. Behind her walked President Ross and Ambassadors Neelix and Jobra, followed by the senior staff of the Defiant, then the senior staff of the Emissary, and finally the senior staff of the Enterprise. The joy and excitement of finding out Sha'Gra was alive was clearly not limited to a small group. Rumour was the hall was filled beyond capacity with citizens eager to hear their alive and well president speak.

Ty'brel had tried to convince Sha'Gra to speak in a less public viewing but she had adamantly refused. She was not afraid, and did not want to give any indication to the contrary.

While the Starfleet officers took their seats in front of the podium, she stood behind it in awe of her reception. She could feel her face get warm and could only imagine what shade of purple her cheeks were turning. No attempt on her behalf was made to hide her embarrassment. She was overwhelmed to the point of not caring.

Once the crowd's exuberance had subsided she began her speech which was surprisingly well delivered considering it had been ad-libbed. Sha'Gra felt that anything she wrote down to say wouldn't have sounded right, which led her to the conclusion that the only way for it to come across as honest and heartfelt was to let the words flow during the heat of the moment. Judging by the response from the crowd afterwards it proved to be the right decision. She talked about her experience with the Romulans and made it clear that their trading agreement was officially over. There was absolutely no opposition whatsoever to her decision.

Sha'Gra's effect on the crowd almost seemed to border on hypnotic. It was similar to a snake charmer willing his cobra along with his music. Alec was curious to see if the crowd would sway along with her as she moved.

"I can only hope you show as much appreciation for our special guests here today." she said as she smiled at the Starfleet officers. The heat was finally leaving her face as the attention would shortly be off of her. "My special guests here today have earned a special place in my heart. If not for them it would have been the end of everything. They risked their lives so that we could continue living ours. Please show your appreciation to Captain Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the U.S.S. Emissary."

The redheaded captain arose from her seat to thunderous applause. Her officers followed suit after first letting her get the acclaim that came with the position. Janeway could not but be reminded of the ovation she received upon returning home from the Delta Quadrant. Now she could add another accomplishment to her already dignified list.

"Secondly," began Sha'Gra once more. "Captain Benjamin Sisko and the crew of the U.S.S. Defiant."

Sisko stood reluctantly. He did not care much for the spotlight. But he accepted the attention in light of the scope of his involvement. He along with his fellow captains played a crucial part in the saving of Vesuvia and the Alpha Quadrant. It was something for which he could always be proud. And he had a feeling that Bashir and Nog were loving every second of it, especially the young Ferengi.

"You all know the next group of people." said Sha'Gra eagerly when the ovation subsided. "From what I've read, it seems that whenever someone or something is threatening the Alpha Quadrant, this ship and crew are there to put an end to it. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise."

The applause that greeted Picard and his crew were rivaled only by that which had met Sha'Gra upon her appearance. While his officers clearly had no problem with the glory he was a little uncomfortable with the amount of praise being lavished upon them. The defeat of Sela and Tomalak and the saving of Vesuvia was a collective effort between the three crews. No one ship, or two ships for that matter, could have achieved anything without the third and neither deserved more praise than the other. He just hoped that history would remember it that way.

The applause subsided and everyone within the forum waited for Sha'Gra to speak again. She was standing with her hands behind her back and a bemused smile on her face. "The man I am about to bring up is a personal hero to everyone in this hall and on this planet. After my 'death,' a good number of you branded him a murderer."

Alec's head snapped towards the podium. _Oh no. I don't want to go up there._

"But because he risked his career to track down those responsible he exposed a traitor, rescued me, uncovered the real enemy, and put an end to a threat to everyone."

_Nononononononononono._

"We owe him a debt that can never be repaid, but today we will do our best to show him our thanks. Lieutenant Commander Alec Wilson of the Enterprise, come up and be acknowledged."

Alec was hesitant to move but several annoying pokes and prods from his fellow officers drove him to head for the stage. It felt as if he could feel gusts of air coming from each individual clap. He took a deep breath as he neared the podium. He was embraced in a hug by Sha'Gra and heard her say 'thank you' in his ear. The ovation only grew louder as she placed something around his neck. He looked down and saw a necklace very similar in style to Jobra's bracelet and Sha'Gra's pendant. There was a difference though: The decoration of the necklace was the Starfleet insignia. He loved it. It was unfortunate the uniform code forbid such things.

He leaned in towards her. "Is it alright if I go back to me seat? I'm not much one for this much attention." He spoke in a tone he hoped was the exact opposite of offensive.

"Of course." she said with a laugh. "I understand."

Alec returned to his seat as quickly as politeness would allow him. It was interesting that just a week ago the Vesuvian population wanted him torn limb from limb, yet now they greeted him with open arms. We used to be no better as a race. Maybe we're not so different after all.

"Moving on," said Sha'Gra. "President Ross, Captain Picard, could you come up here, please?"

Albeit confused, Picard and Ross made their way up to the podium. Sha'Gra had informed them of her intention to present Alec with a gift, but whatever she intended now was not known to the two of them. There was no ignoring the proud smile on her face.

"Is that charter still available for signing?" she asked, her smile as bright as a sun.

A collective murmur spread throughout the arena, including the Starfleet officers. Sha'Gra's proclamation was obviously a complete surprise to everyone, even Jobra, whom she told everything. The murmurs became shouts of approval that escalated into applause.

"Of course." said Ross with a smile. "We'll have someone beam with it immediately."

Picard proudly tapped his combadge. "Picard to Enterprise, please have someone beam down with Vesuvia's Federation charter."

The on duty bridge officer replied immediately. _"Sir, there's already someone in the transporter room. Apparently they've been waiting there for a few minutes."_

Picard glanced at Sha'Gra, who looked back slyly. She had planned it. "Energize." he said.

Silence enveloped the arena as a figure materialized nearby the podium. Holding the hollow tubing which contained the rolled up charter was Rene Wilson. She was wearing a black shoulder to ankle evening gown. It was slit up the sides up to her knees and accentuated her figure a little more than Alec preferred given the setting. It was provocative yet incredibly classy at the same time. He knew she had done it for his benefit. It was logical to assume that if Sha'Gra had gone as far to have the charter signing go on, she had arranged to have it broadcast as it would have been before. _The billions of people watching will know this incredibly woman is mine._

Rene stepped towards the podium and opened the tube, removing the charter and unrolling it onto the podium surface. She handed President Ross a pen before taking her place beside Captain Picard. "Here you go, Mr. President."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilson." said Ross as he smiled and took the pen. He took his time to neatly sign his name at the bottom of the document. Despite what happened the previous week it was not something to rush through. He wanted to savour the moment as long as he could.

Ross blew onto the ink before handing the pen over to Sha'Gra. Her hand had a slight tremble to it but she steadied it before putting the pen to paper. She had been waiting for this moment for so long and now that it had finally arrived she could scarcely believe it. There was no doubt in her mind. With people like those aboard the three ships that aided her planet, the Federation was an entity she wanted her people to be a part of.

She had signed her name without realizing it. It was finally done. A new era for her people had now begun.

"President Sha'Gra." said Ross, extending his hand. "Welcome to the Federation."

Whatever Sha'Gra said to Ross in return could not be heard over the roar of the crowd. She laughed to herself as she took Picard's hand next and finally embraced Rene in a hug. Sha'Gra further enraptured the crowd when she gently picked up the charter and held it over her head. The applause continued as she rolled up the document and inserted it back into the tube.

The celebration continued in a more casual atmosphere in the crew lounge aboard the Enterprise. There wasn't a face without a smile to be seen, except for Lieutenant Commander Tuvok. Although they were still formally dressed, everyone was much more relaxed with the ceremony being completed.

Things were just getting started on Vesuvia. Now that they planet was an official member there was much work to be done. Embassies would have to be built, ambassadors assigned, and facilities to accommodate the permanent Starfleet presence which would eventually be there. There was a previously proposed starbase already in the works as well as outposts on nearby habitable worlds. In keeping with Vesuvian wishes, the locations of the mining planets would only be divulged to the highest ranking members of the Federation and Starfleet so that no outside powers could harvest the worlds for themselves.

The Vesuvian Defense Force would be assimilated into Starfleet which would no doubt prove to be a challenge for the men and women who were so used to the rules and conditions to which they had grown accustomed. Given the young age of the majority of them it would be a challenge for Starfleet to grant appropriate ranks. Change was never easy.

Ty'brel was particularly enthusiastic. To be among friends and colleagues that he never expected to look upon again was the ultimate boost in morale. He was eager to resume his political career if he was able. With his friend as president he expected little difficulty.

Neelix spent all the time he could catching up with his friends from the Emissary before he went back to Earth with the Enterprise. They were eager to hear about his experience on Cardassia. Although they found it odd that the Federation would give him such a high profile and difficult first assignment. The reason they decided on was that it be a good test of his diplomatic prowess. And seeing as how he spent the better part of eighteen months on the destruction laden planet, their choice was a good one.

And despite numerous complaints in the past, his cooking was missed.

The three starship captains raised their glasses to the fallen crew of the U.S.S. Falcon, hopefully the only starship casualty. None of them knew Captain Anderson very well, but Sisko had commanded him in battle fleets during the Dominion War. He had been impressed with the performance of both ship and crew. Starfleet would no doubt feel the loss of such a dedicated and capable captain.

"So, Captain Sisko," said Picard. "I understand you'll be returning to the Founders' homeworld."

Sisko nodded as he placed his drink on the table. It would be the first time he had journeyed to the Gamma Quadrant since before the end of the war. "'Bringing the chicken home to roost,' so to speak. I can't even imagine what kind of change it will be for Dante. One can only hope he isn't disappointed. But if it's anything similar to the experience the Constable had I can see him being quite happy. And with Odo as his guide he won't be easily corrupted."

"Still," continued Janeway. "Commander Wilson took a risk in trusting him. Dante could have very easily been a Romulan plant."

"Nothing great was ever achieved without risk." said Picard, who, thanks to a timeline created by Q, learned that he would have been a very different man had he not taken certain risks in his youth.

"I think it's safe to say that nobody at this table made their careers by playing it safe." added Sisko.

There was no denying the accuracy of Sisko's words. Admiral John Harriman once shared a piece of advice with Picard, who had it passed on to him by Captain James T. Kirk on the Enterprise-B's maiden voyage. Kirk had told him that 'risk is part of the game if you want to sit in that chair.' Picard drank from his glass and paid a silent tribute to all the late, great Starfleet officers who had contributed to the safety and security of his beloved Federation.

Across the room, Alec and Rene laughed and drank at a table with their friends from Deep Space Nine. They were all very pleased and proud of what he had done the past week. An added bonus was that there were no lasting repercussions or ill will on Vesuvia.

"Where's Dante now?" asked Bashir.

"He's regenerating in some quarters." replied Alec. Rene was playing footsie with him under the table.

"He should be here." said Kira. "We wouldn't have defeated Tomalak without him."

"I don't think he'd like all the attention." said Rene. "He's the shy type."

_So was Odo._ Kira was growing steadily more nervous about returning to the Founders' homeworld. She hadn't seen Odo in two years and she desperately wanted him to return to Deep Space Nine. But she accepted the fact it could take years for Odo's work to be done and for him to return. There was little she felt she had to offer that could compete with the pull of the Great Link. But there was some comfort in the fact that when he did return, even when he was an old woman and he still appeared the same as when he left, he would love her no less than before.

"Commander," said Bashir, a curious smile on his face. "There's something I was wondering about. Were you planning on walking for the rest of your life as a Bajoran."

Alec touched his wrinkled nose to the sound of laughter. He had completely forgotten about the surgical alterations that Bashir had made. As had Rene forgotten about the Trill spots that had been added to her face and neck.

"I'll see Beverly when she's free."

"I think it suits you." commented Kira.

"I'm sure it does." said Alec. "But I'm wondering what everyone that was watching the newsnets is going to think. I'm not sure anyone at the hearing will be very impressed. I need to see Beverly anyway. My nose took more than a few hits."

"All things considered," said Dax. "You're in better shape than Commander Jones was."

"I left him in better shape than he deserved to be. What did Tasmith do to him?"

Bashir answered. "He had some slight bruising around his esophagus, and a torn septum."

"That's nothing compared to what Captain Sisko did." said Nog. "I've never heard him yell at a senior officer like that before. I'm just glad that he was transferred off the station."

"Was it to a garbage scow?" asked Rene, whose question drew several chuckles. She didn't bear her teeth very often, but everyone could feel her bite whenever she did.

"No," replied Kira. "The captain contacted Chancellor Martok and got him to agree to take part in some Starfleet exchange program. Martok's got him working security on some penal asteroid called 'Rura Penthe.'"

Alec almost coughed out his wine. "Now _there's_ an interesting idea." he said with a wide grin. It was good to see that poetic justice still existed in some form. "So, does that mean Captain Sisko is in the market for a new chief of security?"

One by one their heads perked up as he planted the idea in their heads. But none of them had the chance to address it as President Sha'Gra approached their table. Everyone at the table arose as she neared.

"Oh, please sit. I'm not one for formality. Commander," she said to Alec. "May I speak to you a moment?"

_What's this about?_ "Of course. Excuse me, everyone."

Sha'Gra led him to an empty area of the lounge. She had business in her eyes. "My world is going to change, Commander. Things are going to happen that are likely beyond my understanding and I'm afraid I'll be swept away by its current. I'm going to need someone who can help me with the Federation side of things. And as recent events have dictated, I'm going to need a new head of security. Your actions over the past few days have impressed me and my people greatly. I'm officially asking if you would be interested in being my Starfleet liaison and head of security."

_I did not see _this_ coming._ Alec nearly took a step back. What had been offered to him was a truly unique opportunity for discovery, as well as a shift in career that he had not considered. It was a far more significant change than Deep Space would present, and a much more difficult adjustment.

"Madame President," began Alec politely. "I am going to need some time to think about this and discuss it with my family. I have a lot to think about right now as it is."

Sha'Gra gave a passive but polite wave of her hand. "I understand. An answer is not needed right away. I'm aware of the hearing you're going to face. And I want you to know that I'll be speaking in your defense. And if for some reason you are dismissed from Starfleet, I would still like to employ your services. I may now be a Federation citizen, but they do not choose my staff for me."

"Thank you, Madame President." said Alec. "I give you my guarantee that after the hearing is concluded and I know what Starfleet decides to do with me that I'll give your offer serious thought."

"That's all I ask." Sha'Gra said with a smile and a nod. "I'll leave you to your friends."

"Madame President." said Alec, bidding farewell for the time being and returning to his table.

Sha'Gra proceeded to the table that seated the three Starfleet captains. They rose as they saw her approaching, much to her chagrin. "Please sit. I think I've outgrown protocol for the night."

"Please have a seat, Madame President." said Picard as he reseated himself. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"

"Very much, Captain." she replied, taking the chair next to Janeway. "I'd like to thank you for the use of your ship tonight."

"Oh, think nothing of it. I just-"

"_Data to Captain Picard."_

"Go ahead, Mr. Data."

"_Captain, Admiral Nechayev wishes to inform you that if we intend to return to Earth in time for the hearing we must depart immediately."_

Picard sighed reluctantly. "Understood, Commander." There were times he hated admirals, even the ones he liked. "Lay in a course for Earth and engage as soon as all our guests have beamed down."

"_Aye, sir."_

Picard turned to Sha'Gra. "Madame President, I understand you'll be returning with us to Earth."

"Yes. I'll be speaking at Commander Wilson's hearing."

"Very good. We've arranged some quarters for you. If you wish, I can have someone take you there shortly."

"Thank you, Captain." said Sha'Gra as she excused herself from the table. "Someone has to let my people know the part is coming to a close."

"If you don't mind, Captain." began Sisko. "I think it's time my crew and I returned to the Defiant."

"Good to work with you, Captain." said Picard as he turned to the venerable captain and extended his hand. "Safe journey back to Deep Space Nine."

"Oh, we're not returning to the station." said Sisko as he took Picard's firm hand. "We're going to Earth. There's a hearing I need to speak at."

"Captain Janeway?" inquired Picard, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She was smirking.

"My ship needs a new weapons pod." she said as her eyes aimed upward. "As I recall, McKinley station is in orbit of Earth."

The loyalty that Picard was witnessing in these two captains was what Starfleet was all about and it made him proud to be part of the two century old institution.

He eyed his peers with an everlasting respect. "Then I shall see you both back at Earth."

Alec returned to the crew lounge hours after the festivities had ended. Until he was returned to full active duty he had all the free time he could spare. For the first time in a week he was able to sit back and relax for the night without looking over his back for some bounty hunter or Romulan sneaking in for the kill. That and knowing his wife was safe once more would let him sleep easy.

Though he was not the only one there, several officers were conversing at nearby tables, it was still the most peaceful environment he could hope for, which was exactly what he needed. Background chatter and laughter was far more soothing than ambient computer noises. He looked ahead at the main viewport of the lounge. If he used his imagination enough, he almost felt as if he was the very tip of the bow, standing outside among the stars as they flew towards him.

He had been thinking about Sha'Gra's offer. It was tempting, he could not deny that. To delve into an alien world such as he was faced with was what Starfleet officers dreamed about. Yet he was hesitant. He remembered what Bru'Dan had told him about their education system and social structure. If he and Rene were not parents he might jump at the chance, but Vesuvia was not the place to raise two human children.

With the testimonies of everyone he knew on his side, he and Rene would be remaining on the Enterprise for awhile yet.

"Mind if we join you?" came a familiar voice behind him.

Alec held his synthale at mouth level as he turned to see Commander Riker, with Lieutenant Edwards at his side. He pointed at the seats in front of him just adjacent the window. "Feel free."

Riker and Edwards sat down, each in their standard uniforms and a each with a drink in hand.

"Just getting off duty?" asked Alec as he noticed their weariness.

"And not a moment too soon." commented Riker. The first officer ran his hand down his face as he positioned himself comfortably. "What a long day."

"I had enough diplomacy to last a lifetime." said Edwards as he eased back into his chair. "I'll be happy when you're back to active duty, Commander."

Alec took a sip from his drink and shook his head. "Well suck it up, John."

"Enjoying your time off?" chuckled Riker.

"Yes. And I plan to enjoy every second of it up until the hearing."

Edwards leaned forward and set his drink on the table. "Rumour has it you have quite a few people on your side."

Riker drank from his synthale. "Captain Picard, Captain Sisko, Captain Janeway, President Sha'Gra, even President Ross."

"I can't believe the support I'm getting. I only have two days to get ready."

Alec didn't notice the ambient sound level grow quieter. Nor did he notice Riker's gaze shift to the door and the chatters become nervous murmurs.

"Actually," said Edwards, who hadn't noticed either. "Two and a half. We're rendezvousing with another ship to transfer some passengers from Vesuvia."

"Passengers?" asked Alec. "What passengers?"

Rapid footsteps came up behind Alec and before he could turn to see who was nearing him a strong hand grabbed his shoulder. "Human _pahtk!"_

_Oh, crap._


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

There was not an empty seat in the Federation Assembly Hall. Diplomats, civilians, Starfleet officers, there was nobody that wanted to miss the most momentous event in the past century. Not since the Khitomer Accords had there been such a significant change in interstellar relations.

Captain Alec Wilson ran a hand through his grey tinged hair. He could not help but wonder what his life would have been like if he had not avoided a court martial fifteen years earlier. He counted himself lucky that he had been able to continue the promising career that so many of his fellow officers had envisioned for him.

Sitting by his side as she always had was his wife, who had only grown more beautiful with age. Their children sat alongside them in their freshman Starfleet cadet uniforms. With excellent marks thus far in the school year, the twins appeared set to have lengthy and prosperous careers of their own.

Alec laughed at the idea of having the two serving aboard his ship upon graduation. To once again see his children on a daily basis struck a chord within him. But he would not permit such an occurrence for he knew that an eventual disaster on board would force him to make a difficult command decision that he would never be able to make, let alone live with.

The past fifteen years bore many significant changes for Alec and his family. When James and Sonia reached schooling age, they themselves told their parents that they wanted to stay aboard the Enterprise. Based on the decision of their children, Alec and Rene opted for holographic schooling.

Five years after the Vesuvian incident, Captain Picard finally accepted the promotion to admiral that he had avoided for so many years. Command of the Enterprise was passed to Captain Riker with Commander Data as his first officer and Alec as second officer. He chose to retain the tactical position rather than take over the operations station.

After three years of exploring space under Riker's command, Alec felt it was time to move on. He accepted an offer from Captain Jack McCann of the U.S.S. Pandion to be his first officer.

Going aboard the Galaxy-Class ship not only allowed him to advance his career, but it allowed Sonia and James to receive better schooling than they otherwise would have on the Enterprise.

Seven years under McCann's command taught Alec many things about leadership. One such example was to expect the unexpected. Alec heeded the advice to the best of his ability, but he was not prepared for the day when McCann told Alec he was accepting a promotion to Admiral and that the Pandion was his if he wished. He accepted without hesitation. Every so often he found himself touching the fourth pip on his collar and not being able to believe it.

Alec watched as Federation President Sha'Gra received a great applause upon the completion of her speech. She had been in office three years and was currently the youngest president in Federation history.

"I'd now like to call up the man who is the reason we are here today." announced Sha'Gra to the audience of thousands. "It is because of his efforts that we are entering a new era of stability in the galaxy. Captain Alec Wilson, please step forward."

Alec squeezed his wife's hand and stood to the mighty applause of the crowd. He had been practising his signature for over a week in preparation of adding it to the peace treaty and alliance with the Romulan Empire.

He remembered the day one year prior that made it possible. While on patrol, his tactical officer picked up a distress call coming from Romulan space. A group of Tholian ships had attacked the Praetor's convoy and destroyed her Warbird escorts.

Alec knew that if the Tholians were successful in assassinating the Praetor it would only fuel the fury of the Romulan people. They would launch a counterattack on the Tholian Assembly with everything they had until nothing was left. And they wouldn't stop with the Tholians; the Romulans would turn their aggression to others such as the Federation and the Klingon Empire in an attempt to quench their taste for vengeance. The Alpha and Beta Quadrants would be driven into chaos.

He risked his command, his career, and his life by crossing the Neutral Zone into Romulan space to stop a galaxywide bloodbath.

The devastating images he saw still hung in his mind. Two Warbirds burned against the black of space and debris from a third lay strew about after it had been destroyed in a Tholian Web.

The arrival of the Pandion in the middle of the battle so surprised both Tholian and Romulan that the two forces ceased fire momentarily before continuing their assaults. After the Tholians ignored his hail to cease fire he stared into the eyes of the beast and brought the Pandion into the fray. He positioned the ship directly between the Tholian force and the Praetor's personal transport. They did not take a single shot.

Recognizing the threat of making enemies of the Romulan Empire and the Federation, the Tholians withdrew from the battle. They left behind three destroyed Warbids, six of their battle-ruined ships, and a very relieved Starfleet captain and Romulan Praetor.

By willingly violating the Prime Directive, Alec risked having the book thrown at him. But the wish of the Praetor to have him present at peace talks prevented his career from coming to an abrupt end.

Alec reached the stage. Standing beside Sha'Gra and the Romulan Praetor, he looked over at the V.I.P. seats nearby. Several of his good friends were seated there: Admiral Picard, Admiral Sisko, Admiral Janeway, Captain Riker, Captain Chakotay, and former President Ross. All were applauding him. He even saw the aged, craggy Vulcan face of Ambassador Spock, who was no doubt grateful for what he had accomplished. Such an alliance was a big step towards Unification of Vulcan and Romulus.

Sha'Gra hugged Alec and handed him a pen. He took a deep breath and leaned down to sign the treaty and experience the greatest moment of his career.

_It was from there that we emerged, to see-once more-the stars._

The End


End file.
